Buttermilk Brined Chicken Thighs Food

BUTTERMILK-BRINED ROTISSERIE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the brine: Heat 1 cup water, 1/4 cup salt, the brown sugar, garlic, coriander seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the salt dissolves. Let cool completely.
• Put the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour in the brine and buttermilk; seal the bag. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, turning once or twice.
• About 30 minutes before grilling, remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Let sit at room temperature.
• Prepare a grill with a rotisserie attachment according to the manufacturer's instructions. Preheat the grill to medium and prepare for indirect cooking: On a gas grill, turn off the center burner(s); on a charcoal grill, bank the coals to the sides.
• Combine the butter, vinegar, ground coriander, garlic powder and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the butter is melted. Set aside.
• Truss the chicken with kitchen twine: Tie the legs together and tie the wings close to the body so the chicken is a round shape. Once the grill registers 325˚ F to 350˚ F, slide the chicken onto the rotisserie spit. Insert the prongs on the rod into the chicken so it's snug; secure with the thumbscrews. (If the twine loosens, tie again.) Place the rod onto the rotisserie with a drip pan underneath; turn the rotisserie on.
• Cover the grill and cook, basting the chicken with the butter mixture every 30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165˚ and the skin is browned and crisp, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (If using a charcoal grill, add coals as needed to maintain a temperature of 325˚ F to 350˚ F.)
• Turn off the rotisserie. For a gas grill, turn off the grill and let the chicken rest on the rod for 10 minutes before carving. For charcoal, lay the chicken, on the rod, on a foil-lined baking sheet and let rest 10 minutes before carving.

BUTTERMILK MARINATED DEEP-FRIED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Rinse chicken breasts and thighs to remove any residue and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and place in a nonreactive bowl. Pour buttermilk over, cover, and let marinate, preferably overnight, refrigerated, but at least 2 hours.
• Heat oil in deep-fryer to 350 degrees F, or as directed in the manufacturer's instructions of your deep fryer for chicken pieces.
• Set up your breading station: in separate bowls put flour; beaten eggs; and cornmeal which has been seasoned with the paprika and salt and pepper, to taste. Remove the chicken 1 piece at a time from the buttermilk and dredge in flour, allowing any excess flour to fall away. Dip the floured chicken in the egg wash and then coat with the cornmeal mixture. Deep-fry coated chicken pieces in batches until they are cooked through, about 13 to 20 minutes. (Use the manufacturer's instructions for your deep-fryer for basic reference for chicken pieces, then test the chicken see that it is fork tender.) Allow to drain on paper towels and serve.

BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken pieces in a bowl and toss them with buttermilk, 2 tablespoons salt and a healthy grind of black pepper. Cover and marinate for at least an hour and up to a day.
• Combine flour, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper in a large bowl or, ideally, a paper bag large enough to accommodate the flour and the pieces of chicken.
• Pour oil into a large, heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet with high sides and a lid, to a depth of a few inches. Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.
• Set a rack on a baking sheet or tray. Place the chicken pieces in the paper bag filled with the flour mixture and shake well to coat, or toss them in the bowl with the flour mixture to achieve a similar result.
• Shake off excess flour and fry the pieces of chicken skin-side down, in batches so as not to crowd the pan, for about 5 to 15 minutes, covered by the lid. Remove the lid, turn over the chicken pieces, and cook for about 5 to 15 minutes more, uncovered, until they are cooked through and a deep golden brown. Color is as or more important than time: Watch your chicken and get it out when it's golden brown.
• Remove chicken to the rack to drain and rest, sprinkle with salt and serve warm or at room temperature.

BUTTERMILK-BRINED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• The day before you want to cook the chicken, remove the wingtips by cutting through the first wing joint with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Reserve for stock. Season chicken generously with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Stir 2 tablespoons kosher salt or 4 teaspoons fine sea salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. (If the chicken won't fit in a gallon-size bag, double up 2 plastic produce bags to prevent leaks and tie the bag with twine.)
• Seal the bag, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. If you're so inclined, you can turn the bag periodically so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but that's not essential.
• Pull the chicken from the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees with a rack set in the center position.
• Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Tightly tie together the legs with a piece of butcher's twine. Place the chicken in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a shallow roasting pan.
• Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven on the center rack. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven. (The back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done.) Pretty quickly you should hear the chicken sizzling.
• After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for 10 minutes.
• Move the pan so the legs are facing the rear right corner of the oven. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh. If the skin is getting too brown before it is cooked through, use a foil tent. Remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

BUTTERMILK ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Butterfly chicken by placing breast side down and using heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut along both sides of backbone. Discard backbone, turn chicken over and open it like a book. Press gently to flatten it.
• Place chicken in a large freezer bag. Add buttermilk, 1/4 cup oil, garlic, peppercorns, salt, rosemary and honey. Seal bag securely and refrigerate overnight or up to two days.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chicken from marinade and place on a rack so excess can drip off. Line a roasting pan with foil and place chicken in pan. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Roast for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees. Continue roasting until well browned and until juices run clear when chicken is pierced where leg joins thigh, about another 20 minutes.
• Place chicken on a carving board and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces. Place a portion on each of four plates, and drizzle each serving with pan juices.

CHEF JOHN'S BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Toss together chicken pieces, black pepper, salt, paprika, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, white pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl to coat.
• Stir in buttermilk until chicken is coated. Refrigerate for 6 hours.
• Combine flour, salt, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, white pepper, and onion powder in a large shallow dish.
• Remove chicken from the buttermilk and dredge each piece in the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess and transfer to a plate.
• Heat peanut oil in a large Dutch oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Add all the chicken to the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
• Turn chicken pieces and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
• Remove chicken from the oil and transfer to a cooling rack set over a paper towel lined baking sheet. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

AIR FRYER BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken thighs in a shallow casserole dish. Pour buttermilk over chicken and refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat an air fryer to 380 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Mix flour, seasoned salt, and pepper in a large gallon-sized resealable bag. Dredge chicken thighs in seasoned flour. Dip back into the buttermilk, then coat with panko bread crumbs.
• Spray the basket of the air fryer with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange 1/2 of the chicken thighs in the basket, making sure none are touching. Spray the top of each chicken thigh with cooking spray.
• Cook in the preheated air fryer for 15 minutes. Flip. Spray tops of chicken again. Cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Repeat with remaining chicken.