Fried Chicken With Ancho Honey Food

HONEY FRIED CHICKEN BITES

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup pickle juice, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken thighs, seal the bag and shake to evenly disperse. Refrigerate and let marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Whisk together the honey, chopped pickles and the remaining 2 tablespoons each pickle juice and hot sauce in a large bowl until well combined.
• Whisk together the flour, paprika, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of buttermilk and use your fingers to work it in, making the flour shaggy.
• Fill a large, wide Dutch oven or pot with about 2 1/2 inches of oil, then add the shortening. Attach a deep-fat fry thermometer to the side of the pot and bring to 350 degrees F over medium heat. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels and a wire rack if desired and set aside.
• Drain the chicken in a colander but do not pat dry. Transfer the chicken to the flour mixture, making sure to press the pieces into the flour to fully coat. Set on a plate. (If you notice the chicken getting soggy in any spots as it sits, dredge it in the flour mixture again.)
• When the oil is at 350 degrees F, very carefully slide the breaded chicken into the oil and fry until deep golden brown with an internal temperature of about 170 degrees F, about 4 minutes. Remove to the lined baking sheet and sprinkle with a little salt.
• Put the chicken in the bowl with the honey mixture and toss to coat. Serve in paper cones with toothpicks for skewering the chicken bites.

FRIED CHICKEN WITH ANCHO HONEY

Steps:

• Whisk together 1 quart of the buttermilk, 2 tablespoons salt, and the chili de arbol in a large bowl or large baking dish. Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Place the remaining 2 cups of buttermilk in a bowl. Stir together the flour, garlic and onion powders, paprika and cayenne in a large bowl and divide among 2 shallow platters and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Drain the chicken in a colander and pat it dry. Dredge the pieces a few at a time in the flour mixture and pat off excess, then dip in the buttermilk and allow excess to drain off. Dredge in the second plate of flour and pat off the excess. Put the chicken pieces on a baking rack set over a baking sheet while the oil heats.
• Pour about 3 inches of oil into a deep cast iron skillet; the oil should not come more than halfway up the sides of the pot. Put the pot over medium-high heat and heat the oil to 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, add the chicken pieces to the hot oil, 3 or 4 at a time and fry, turning the pieces occasionally, until evenly golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to a rack to drain; repeat to cook the remaining pieces. Serve hot, drizzled with the ancho honey.
• Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Season with salt, to taste.

HONEY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, then add the buttermilk, 1 tablespoon of the salt, 1 tablespoon of the pepper and 1 teaspoon of the paprika. Mix to combine. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
• In a large, deep pot or Dutch oven pour enough of the oil to fill the pot 3- to 4-inches. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet.
• In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, the remaining 3/4 tablespoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon pepper and 1 tablespoon paprika. Whisk to combine the dredge.
• Lift the chicken from the buttermilk, then coat the pieces completely in the flour. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet or large plate.
• Working in batches and being careful to not overcrowd the pot, add the legs and thighs to the hot oil and cook, turning and monitoring the oil temperature, until crisp and golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to the prepared rack. Add the wings and breast pieces to the oil and cook until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to the rack, then drizzle with honey and serve.

PANFRIED CHICKEN WITH ANCHO CHILES AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Saute the onions with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and half of each of the mushrooms. Turn up the heat and cook the mushrooms, stirring frequently, until golden. Pour in the wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Meanwhile, place the Ancho chiles over a burner and toast all over just until soft and the skin is slightly bubbly. Roughly chop half the chiles and add to the pot, reserving the rest.
• Add the chicken stock to the pot and boil about 12 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. (For a smoother sauce, pass through a sieve.) Return the sauce to the stove and bring to a boil. Stir in the remaining butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and remove from heat. (For a thinner, more rustic sauce you can eliminate this butter.) Stir in the lime juice, season with salt and pepper and reserve.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Season the chicken breasts well with salt and pepper. Heat a large dry skillet over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Pour in the olive oil and place the chicken in the pan, skin side down. Fry until the skin starts to brown and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes, and then turn and briefly sear the other side. Transfer to a baking dish (set the pan aside) and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, finish the sauce by thinly slicing the remaining toasted Ancho peppers. Reheat the pan used to brown the chicken and saute the remaining mushrooms over medium-high heat until the edges are brown. Then add the sliced Anchos. Stir and toss 1 to 2 minutes longer. Stir into the reserved sauce.
• Coat the serving plates with the sauce. Top each with a browned chicken breast and serve.

BLUE CORN FRIED CHICKEN WITH ANCHO HONEY AND BUTTERMILK-BACON SMASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• For the Chicken: Place chicken in a large baking dish, add buttermilk, turn to coat. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Heat 1-inch of the peanut oil in a cast iron skillet to 350 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in the flour and pat off excess. Dip in the eggs then cornmeal. Slowly add the chicken pieces to the hot pan skin-side down in batches. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium high and cook for 7 minutes, remove the cover, turn the chicken over and continue to cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels and transfer to a platter. Drizzle with the Ancho Honey Sauce.
• For the Ancho Honey Sauce: Mix all ingredients together until blended.
• For the Buttermilk-Bacon Potatoes: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and smash, don't puree.

BOBBY FLAY THROWDOWN FRIED CHICKEN W/ANCHO HONEY

Steps:

• 1.5Whisk together 1 quart of the buttermilk, 2 tablespoons salt, and the chili de arbol in a large bowl or large baking dish. Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Place the remaining 2 cups of buttermilk in a bowl. Stir together the flour, garlic and onion powders, paprika and cayenne in a large bowl and divide among 2 shallow platters and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Drain the chicken in a colander and pat it dry. Dredge the pieces a few at a time in the flour mixture and pat off excess, then dip in the buttermilk and allow excess to drain off. Dredge in the second plate of flour and pat off the excess. Put the chicken pieces on a baking rack set over a baking sheet while the oil heats.
• Pour about 3 inches of oil into a deep cast iron skillet; the oil should not come more than halfway up the sides of the pot. Put the pot over medium-high heat and heat the oil to 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, add the chicken pieces to the hot oil, 3 or 4 at a time and fry, turning the pieces occasionally, until evenly golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to a rack to drain; repeat to cook the remaining pieces. Serve hot, drizzled with the ancho honey.

HOT HONEY FRIED CHICKEN STRIPS

Steps:

• Place one sheet of plastic wrap on a clean cutting board (see Cook's Note). Put one chicken piece in the center of the plastic wrap and top with another sheet. Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet, starting in the center and working your way to the edges, until the chicken is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut each chicken thigh into 3 even strips. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
• Pour 1 cup buttermilk over the chicken. Marinate at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes or overnight in the fridge if time allows.
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Pour about 1 inch of oil into a deep, heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Heat over medium-high until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 to 375 degrees F.
• Stir together the 1/4 cup honey in a small bowl with as much hot sauce as you like (I use 1 tablespoon, but I like it spicy.) Set aside until ready to serve.
• Stir together the flour, paprika, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the garlic powder and onion powder if using.
• Stir the remaining 1/3 cup of buttermilk into the flour mixture until it has a chunky consistency.
• Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture so that each piece is fully coated and place on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Working in batches to avoid crowding the pot, add 3 to 4 pieces of the coated chicken and fry, undisturbed, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and fry until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the fried chicken strips to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet, season with a pinch of salt and hold in the warm oven. Check the oil temperature and adjust the heat as needed to bring it back to 350 to 275 degrees F, then repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Serve the fried chicken strips immediately with the hot honey.