Sweet Tea Fried Chicken Food

SUNNY ANDERSON'S FRIED SWEET TEA CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the brine
• In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups water, the tea and salt until the salt dissolves
• Squeeze the lemon halves into the pot then add them and the chicken pieces to the pot, submerge and soak for 2 hours at room temperature
• Make the syrup
• In a medium pan over medium heat, combine the tea, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice
• Simmer until reduced and thickened like syrup
• Taste and add a pinch of salt
• Stir in the thyme
• Prepare to fry
• In a large pot, heat 6 inches of oil until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 325° F
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cayenne, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper
• Drain the chicken from the brine and pat dry
• Dust the chicken in the flour and shake off excess
• Dip each piece in the egg, then back in the flour to coat
• Set on a wire rack to let the coating sink in for 15 minutes
• Fry the chicken
• In batches, fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the piece
• Remove from the oil and set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain
• Drizzle with the sweet tea syrup

BUTTERMILK-BRINED SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl or two gallon-sized zip-top bags, put brine herbs and spices in. Pour buttermilk into the bowl and whisk up to mix buttermilk and seasoning together. Add chicken pieces and make sure each piece is submerged in the buttermilk. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, overnight most prefered. You can brine the chicken to up to 24 hours.
• When you're ready to start frying, begin bringing a 6 quart enamel cast iron dutch oven (or any other large, heavy bottom pot) filled half-way with vegetable oil to temperature. Use a candy/oil thermometer to bring oil to 325 degrees F. When you place the stem of a wooden spoon in the oil, it should start to bubble around it. That's when you know it's ready. This is a good way to test the oil temperature if you don't have a thermometer.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
• While oil is coming to temp, in a large bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and spices and herbs. Splash a bit of brine, about 4 tbsp, into the flour.
• Take each piece of chicken out of the brine and coat well in the flour mixture. Let rest on a plate, repeat until each piece is coated in flour. Let rest for 5 minutes, then dip each piece back into the flour mixture and let rest again for 5-10 minutes.
• Have a wire rack over a baking sheet prepared on a counter next to your range. Fry your chicken pieces, 2-4 pieces at a time, for about 20-22 minutes. When batch is done, place on prepared wire rack over the baking sheet and put into the warm oven. This will keep the batches warm while you finish frying. Repeat this step until complete.
• Serve immediately.

SWEET TEA BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make the brine: Zest, then quarter the lemon. Put the lemon zest and quarters in a saucepan. Add the tea, sugar, and salt. Simmer the mixture over medium-high heat until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 1 quart of ice water and the chicken. Brine the chicken in the refrigerator for 48 hours. Drain the chicken and blot dry.
• Combine 2 cups flour, the masa harina, crab boil seasoning, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the 8 eggs with the buttermilk. Put the remaining 2 cups of flour in a third bowl.
• Prepare a breading station by lining up the bowl of flour, then the bowl containing the egg and buttermilk mixture, and finally the bowl of seasoned crust mixture. Roll the chicken in the flour, then the egg mixture, and then the crust then put the legs and thighs in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Fill a large deep pan with enough oil to completely submerge the chicken. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 300 degrees F. Add the chicken and cook until it is golden and the juices run clear, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain the chicken on a rack then serve.

SWEET-TEA FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine tea, lemon, sugar and kosher salt, and simmer for 5 minutes or salt and sugar are complete dissolved. Pour in ice water and cool brine completely. Submerge thighs and drumsticks in brine for 48 hours.
• Remove to a wire rack and allow chicken to drain. Combine 2 cups of the flour and the corn flour, crab boil, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Place remaining 1 cup flour in a medium bowl, and in a third bowl beat eggs with buttermilk. Line up bowls of flour, egg-buttermilk mixture and then the flour-corn flour mixture, in that order. Coat the chicken in the flour, then the egg-buttermilk mixture, and then the flour-corn flour mixture, applying pressure to ensure even adherence. Let the chicken sit in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour before frying.
• Pour oil in a heavy pot at a depth of at least 3 inches. Heat oil to 300 degrees F. Fry chicken, submerged in oil, for 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170 degrees F for dark meat, 160 degrees F for white meat. Drain on a rack. Cool to room temperature, and then place in refrigerator for at least 4 and no more than 24 hours. Serve cool from a picnic basket or cold, straight from the refrigerator.

SWEET TEA AND LEMON BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix tea, salt, thyme, lemons, and garlic together in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Add Chicken and seal. Place bag into a container in the fridge to protect from spoilage. You can also place in a big cooler filled with ice - this is what I do to brine my turkeys.
• Allow the chicken to marinate in the brine mixture for 24-48 hours, no longer than 48 hours.
• Remove chicken and discard the bag and the brining mixture.
• Whisk together buttermilk, egg, and honey. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place in a shallow bowl -- I often like to use a pie plate, because I have several and barely ever use them :).
• Mix together flour, panko bread crumbs, chili powder, baking powder, and the additional salt and pepper in a second shallow bowl.
• Using one hand for wet and another hand for dry, dip each piece of chicken in the wet mixture on both sides. Then coat each side of the chicken piece in the dry mixture. Coat well and shake off any excess. Repeat this process for each piece of chicken.
• I then like to repeat the process for what I call a "DOUBLE DIP". You may need to add an additional wet and dry recipe to the bowls. All you do is re-dip each piece of chicken in the wet and dry mixtures to add an extra kiss of love and tenderness to that chicken crust :).
• Deep fry chicken in Vegetable Oil (or shortening if you prefer) until golden brown and chicken is the desired doneness (or about 165 to 175 degrees internally). This should take about 9-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
• If you don't want to break out the fryer or stink up your kitchen, you can also bake the chicken on a pan sprayed with non-stick spray. I have not tried this yet, but I am sure it will work with the appropriate patience.
• When I made this chicken recipe, I served with a Seafood boil and a selection of hot sauces, bbq sauces, honey, butter, etc. Serve how you wish and enjoy!