Cold Fried Chicken Food

COLD FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• One day before you're frying, mix all the soaking ingredients in a big container or two. Put the thighs in to soak, and refrigerate overnight.
• The following day, mix the dredging ingredients in a big deep bowl or high-sided roasting pan. Remove the chicken from the soak, piece by piece, allowing excess buttermilk to drip off away from the dredge. Drop each piece into flour mixture, a few at a time, leaving space between each piece. Shake, and toss to coat each piece evenly and thoroughly.
• Lay the dredged chicken on a rack set over a cookie sheet to allow the coating to dry and cling, leaving space between the pieces.
• Heat oil to 325 degrees, testing with a thermometer, or by dropping a few specks of flour in, and begin to fry when the specks sizzle calmly. Fry in batches, until just shy of golden. Continue until all have been fried, lowering the heat as needed to keep the temperature constant, and straining out excess flour to keep the oil clean. Let thighs rest on a rack over a cookie sheet or dish towel. Skim all the excess flour out of the oil, or carefully strain it into a new pot and raise heat to 350. Fry the thighs again, in batches, to (in Hamilton's words) "finish to gorgeous deep golden brown."
• Drain on a rack. Leave at room temperature for a same-day picnic, or refrigerate overnight if you're eating the following day. Bring buttermilk dressing! Bring hot sauce! Bring butter lettuce! Bring rosé!

COLD FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Stir together the black pepper, paprika, salt and garlic powder in a bowl. Rub chicken with half the seasonings, then stir the remaining seasonings into the flour in a bowl. Let seasoned chicken rest in fridge 8 hours or up to overnight.
• Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Dredge seasoned chicken in the seasoned flour. Fry until cooked through, 10 to 20 minutes. Place chicken in fridge until chilled, 1 to 2 hours.
• Split open hoagie rolls without cutting all the way through. Slice chilled chicken and glaze with onion dressing. Assemble sandwiches with mayo first, then veggies, then chicken. Enjoy!

COLD-SMOKED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Turn on the smoker, set it at the lowest possible temperature, and let it generate smoke for 10 minutes. Put the chicken thighs into one or two disposable aluminum containers that will fit in your smoker. Fill a third container with ice. Put the ice in the bottom of the smoker and put the chicken thighs on racks above the ice. Smoke the thighs for 1 hour and then turn them over. If the ice has melted, remove the container and replace with fresh ice. Smoke the chicken thighs for another hour.
• Put the buttermilk in a bowl and add the hot sauce and 2 tablespoons (36 grams) salt. Stir to dissolve the salt. When the thighs are done smoking, place them in a large zip-top bag and pour the buttermilk mixture over them. Seal the bag, pressing out any excess air, and turn the thighs in the bag. Place the bag in the refrigerator and let the thighs brine for 24 hours. Occasionally turn the bag so that the thighs are fully submerged and coated in the buttermilk.
• Set a baking rack over a sheet pan. Put the flour, 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt, and cayenne in a bowl. Use a whisk to combine them evenly. Remove the chicken thighs from the buttermilk mixture and put them on the rack to drain. Dredge each thigh in the flour mixture and return it to the rack.
• Put the rice bran oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed chicken fryer or other large skillet. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 360°F (182°C). Turn the oven to 250°F (120°C). Take a second baking rack and put it on a sheet pan. When the oil is hot, add 3 or 4 thighs to the oil and fry until they are a rich golden brown, about 10 minutes. Maintain an oil temperature of 350°F (175°C). Depending on the size of your pot, you may have to flip the thighs once to brown them evenly. When the first set of thighs is browned, transfer them to the rack and put the rack in the oven to allow the meat to finish cooking and stay warm while you fry the remaining chicken. Repeat with the rest of the thighs, allowing the last batch to rest for 10 minutes in the oven before serving.