Filed Under: 30 minutes or more, Birthday, Chicken, Child, Dinner, Father's Day, Pregnancy

Fried Buttermilk Chicken with Creamy Coleslaw

The key to success is to balance the heat of the oil between 250°F and 300°F. Use a thermometer for the best results. And don't forget the lid; keeping the steam trapped helps cook the chicken

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April 1st, 2009

Recipe by LeeAnne Wright

Find the coleslaw recipe here.

"I loved how spicy this was, and I already had all of the ingredients at home, so no need to do groceries. I will make it again for sure."
Annie Imbeault, mom of Olivier, 5, and Myriam, 2, Dartmouth, N.S.

BRINING BASICS To make this dish explode with flavour we recommend that you brine the chicken the day before the buttermilk bath. Here's how: Bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 cup each of salt and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and add 2 cups ice cubes. Add chicken pieces when water has chilled. Refrigerate chicken overnight in brine or until ready to use.

Servings
6
Prep Time
25 minutes + soaking time

On the table

35 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 whole small chicken (2½ to 3 lbs)
  • 1½ cups buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp dry mustard
  • 2 tbsp kosher salt, divided
  • 2 tsp cayenne, divided
  • 1 tsp pepper, divided
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1¾ - 2 cups vegetable oil
Directions

  1. Cut chicken into 8 pieces then chop breasts in half crosswise.

  2. Combine buttermilk with mustard, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp cayenne and ½ tsp pepper in a large, sturdy, sealable bag. Add chicken pieces, press out air, seal and toss to distribute buttermilk evenly. Refrigerate at least 3 hours, but ideally overnight.

  3. Mix flour with remaining spices in a bowl. Remove chicken from buttermilk, shaking off excess liquid, and toss a few pieces in flour at a time. Shake off excess flour from chicken and put on a rack set over a few layers of paper towel. Let flour set on chicken for 10 minutes.

  4. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed cast iron skillet (which has a lid) to 350°F. Carefully place the chicken skin-side down in the pan. You may not be able to fit it all in, so work in batches. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Check and reduce heat slightly if the chicken is browning too quickly; it should be light brown at this point. Re-cover with lid and cook another 5 minutes. Ideally, oil should hover around 275°F while chicken is frying. Adjust as needed.

  5. Turn chicken over and, with lid off, cook for another 7-10 minutes or until internal temperature of leg reaches 165°F.

  6. Transfer cooked chicken to rack to drain and season lightly with salt.

Nutrients Per Serving

314 calories, 18 g fat, 51 mg calcium, 1,069 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrates, 0 g fibre, 24 g protein. Excellent source of niacin.

Fried Buttermilk Chicken with Creamy Coleslaw
Photography by Edward Pond