Ingredients:
- Finely chopped fresh Dill (5 Tbs, divided 3 and 2)
- Finely chopped fresh Parsley (5 Tbs, divided 3 and 2)
- Finely chopped fresh Rosemary (3 Tbs, divided (2 and 1)
- Finely minced garlic (2 cloves)
- Buttermilk (1 cup)
- White Vinegar (2 tsp)
- Salt (1/2 tsp)
- Black Pepper (1/2 tsp)
- AP Flour (1 cup)
- Cornstarch (1/2 cup)
- Garlic Powder (1 tsp)
- Old Bay Seasoning (2 tsp)
- 6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs (yes, boneless and skinless, it really does work)
Preparation:
- Dry, salt and pepper your Chicken Thighs
- Mix the Buttermilk, Vinegar, 3 Tbs of Dill and Parsley, 2 Tbs of Rosemary, Salt and Pepper, and minced Garlic in a bowl.
- Reserve a quarter cup as a dipping sauce.
- In a separate bowl combine the Flour, Cornstarch, Garlic powder and Old Bay Seasoning.
- Soak each Thigh in the Buttermilk mixture to coat. No need to brine or marinate for long period, that's the benefit of using chicken thighs.
- Dredge in the Flour mixture and set aside.
Cooking:
- Preheat 2-3 inches of Vegetable or Peanut oil to 350F degrees is a vessel wide and deep enough for some frying. I usually use a cast iron dutch oven.
- Once the oil is hot, gently, and I do mean gently, slid in two pieces of chicken. Fry for approximately 7-8 minutes. You do have to keep adjusting the flame to keep the oil about 350.
- You will see a drop in temperature when the pieces are added, but it should recover quickly. If it falls too far, you might need to cook one piece at a time. About the 3.5-4 minute mark turn over the pieces.
- Remove to a paper towel for just a few seconds to get some of the surface oil off.
- Then transfer to a wire rack over a sheet pan to drain off any more oil. If the oil remains hot enough, there is usually very little oil drained off.
- Repeat with the other three batches.
- Let the last batch rest while plating, using a little of the reserve buttermilk mixture as a dip. I have also found Ranch Dressing and even Frank's Red Hot are excellent accompaniments rather than the buttermilk mixture.
- I have made as many as 6 batches (12 thighs) and the first pair of thighs were still plenty hot when I was done. If you are making more, I recommend placing your wire rack/sheet pan in the oven at 200 degrees. It will keep it hot without cooking it further and shouldn't start drying out out before you are done.
Some notes:
- Do not let the oil go too high. Not only can you burn your chicken, but if you let it get over 400F, you shouldn't strain the oil and reuse. I use two strainers and a double piece of cheesecloth between them to strain my oil and I can set several fries out of each container. I don't use it for anything other than frying. You wouldn't want to make a salad dressing out of it.
- The chicken is also good cold and even as leftovers. I know it sounds like a sin, but I simple put the leftovers in a plastic ziploc bag. It's never going to be as crispy as freshly fried, so I have given up trying to maintain the crispness. None of the techniques I have heard of seemed to work overnight anyway.
I love the seasonings you have used. I am sure this fried chicken was amazing.
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