Credit: Courtesy of Georgi Richardson.It doesn't get much more American than celebrating Independence Day with fried chicken. But, not all golden bird-legs are created equal; some attempts are soggy, dry, and/or shockingly lacking in meat. The place that does it best? In our humble (but correct) opinion, that would Bubby's in NYC — a southern comfort-food destination that specializes in crispy perfection. And, (lucky us) owner Ron Silver kindly turned over the recipe so we could make the dish for our own patriotic gatherings. Follow the recipe below, and then whip up some waffle batter to accompany it. Looks like Sunday brunch will get four stars tomorrow.
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Bubby's Fried Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For Brine:
12 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup honey
9 bay leaves
15 garlic cloves, smashed
1 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch parsley
1 tbsp grated lemon peel
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
For Chicken:
2 whole chickens, cut in pieces, brined for 24 hours
8 cups seltzer
For seasoned flour:
4 cups flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp salt
Directions:
1. Brine the chicken for 24 hours. Remove from brine and set aside.
2. Before frying, remove the chicken parts from the seltzer, place seasoned flour in a paper bag. Add 4 to 5 pieces of chicken to the bag and shake, coating thoroughly in seasoned flour.
3. Fill a large, cast-iron skillet 3/4 full with good oil. (We use cold-pressed canola because of nut allergies, but peanut oil is best.) Heat the oil to 325° F and gently place pieces of chicken, one at a time, into the oil. There should be a good inch between pieces. The chicken will not be completely covered. Let it cook in oil until the blood and juices start to emerge from the exposed chicken.
4. Gently turn chicken with tongs. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Then, turn again. Cook to golden brown, and check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to achieve between 158-165° F.
5. When you pull the chicken out, place on paper towels to get the excess oil off, and season with salt. Let rest 5 minutes before serving to allow the juices to distribute throughout the chicken.
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