No. 17East Coast · Dinner

Fried Chicken: The Grown-Up KFC

Name: Fried Chicken: The Grown-Up KFC
Yield: About 12 pieces
Cuisine: East Coast
Ingredients: About 12 pieces bone-in, skin-on dark meat (I do 6 thighs and 6 drumsticks); 2 cups (500 ml) buttermilk; 2 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp paprika; 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour; ½ cup (60 g) cornstarch; 1 tbsp baking powder; 2 tsp kosher salt; 2 tsp paprika; 2 tsp garlic powder; 2 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp black pepper; ½ tsp white pepper; ½ tsp dried thyme; ¼ tsp cayenne (optional); 3–4 tbsp of the buttermilk marinade; Neutral oil with a high smoke point, enough for deep frying

Growing up, fried chicken meant KFC. This is the version I've refined for home: a craggy, heavily seasoned crust that crackles when you bite it, and juicy dark meat all the way to the bone. Buttermilk does the tenderizing, little clumps in the flour make the ridges, and there's no oven finish. Proper fried chicken, done properly.

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A tray of golden, craggy fried chicken thighs and drumsticks cooling on a wire rack — Shot on my phone.No. 17

Serves: About 12 pieces
Total: 5½ hr (mostly marinating)
Hands-on: 1 hr 15 min
Season: Year-round

Method

Marinate. Mix the buttermilk with the marinade seasonings, add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Make the craggy dredge. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and spices in a wide bowl. Drizzle in 3–4 tbsp of the marinade and rub it in with your fingertips until you have little clumps. Those clumps are the crust.
Coat and rest. Lift each piece out of the buttermilk, let the excess drip off, and press it firmly into the flour. Set the coated pieces on a rack for 15–20 minutes while the oil heats, so the coating sets.
Heat the oil. In a deep, heavy pot, heat the oil to 330–340°F (165–170°C). Use a thermometer. This is not the time to guess.
Fry in batches. Don't crowd the pot. Keep the oil between 320–340°F (160–170°C), adjusting the heat as you go. Cook until deeply golden and the thickest meat near the bone reads at least 165°F (74°C), about 12–18 minutes depending on size.
Drain and rest. Move the chicken to a wire rack (not paper towel, which steams the bottom), sprinkle with a little salt while it's hot, and rest 5 minutes.

Chicken pieces dredged in seasoned flour on a rack, next to a Dutch oven of hot oil — Dredged, rested, ready.No. 17

Chicken frying in bubbling oil in an enamelled Dutch oven — The Le Creuset earns its keep.No. 17

From my kitchen

Thighs or drums? You do you. My family likes six of each. I think this recipe is at its best with dark meat: juicy, forgiving and full of flavour. Scale the chicken, buttermilk and dredge together.
The thermometer is the recipe. My last batch browned too fast because the oil crept up. If the crust darkens before the chicken is cooked, lower the heat. Never pull it early.
No oven finish. It's not needed if your oil temperature is right, and it softens the crust.
Cold leftovers are a perk, not a problem.
Make two, freeze one. Buttermilk usually comes in a 1 litre carton, and chicken pieces are cheaper in bulk (think Costco). So fry one 12-piece batch as written, and put the second 12 pieces straight into a freezer bag with the other 500 ml of buttermilk and the marinade seasonings. Freeze it right away and it won't over-marinate. Next time, thaw it in the fridge overnight and you've skipped the messiest step. Freezer space permitting.