Show #416

Recipe By: ©2000 eric villegas

Ingredients:

1 3-5 lb fryer chicken, brined (see recipe) and cut up into 8 or 10
pieces, see notes
1 whole red onion, peeled and sliced into rounds
for the chicken coating
3 cups rice flour
2 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 1/2 tablespoons sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons aji pepper, ground
for the buttermilk marinade
2 1/4 cups cultured buttermilk
1/2 cup roasted garlic, puree, see recipe
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon Clancy's Fancy Hot Sauce, or similar
2 quarts lard or peanut oil, for frying
8-10 big sprigs fresh thyme, for flavoring the lard and garnish
10 cloves garlic, peeled for flavoring the lard and garnish
1 whole lime, cut into 8'ths for garnish
1 recipe buttermilk waffles, see recipe
1 recipe thyme lime honey, see recipe

Directions:

Prepare the brine (see recipe) and brine the whole bird 12 - 24 hours.
After brining drain the bird and discard the brine.

In a large mixing bowl combine the buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic puree,
salt and blend well. Add the brined chicken pieces and reserve at
least one hour and up to 4.

Place the red onion rings in a bowl of ice water and reserve.

Place the rice flour, dried rosemary, salt, paprika and aji powder in a
large brown paper grocery bag and mix well. Remove the chicken pieces
from the buttermilk (reserve buttermilk for the onions) and drop into
the paper bag 2 or 3 at a time and shake to coat (At this point you may
want to "double dip" meaning dip the coated chicken pieces back in the
buttermilk and back in the flour for a heavier coating). Place the
coated pieces of chicken on a wire rack, set aside to rest while you
prepare the lard.

In a 5 quart cast iron skillet (or similar) add about 2 quarts of lard
(it should not come up more than halfway the height of the pan for
safety).

Add the rosemary sprigs to the cool lard and heat over medium-high heat
until the oil registers 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.

Once the lard has reached 350 degrees, working in batches, carefully
add the chicken pieces 3 or 4 at a time.

As the rosemary crisps remove from the lard and drain on paper towels
and reserve for garnish.

Fry the chicken, turning the pieces once, until golden brown and cooked
through, about 8-12 minutes. Total cooking time should be about 30
minutes. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Reserve the cooked chicken on a wire cooling rack over a cookie sheet
in a warm oven. Season to taste with a bit of sea salt and a cracked
black pepper.

After all the chicken is cooked drain and dry the onions rings and
repeat the same procedure as the chicken by dropping them in the
reserved buttermilk and then into the rice flour.

Fry the onion rings in the lard at the same temperature until crisp
about 3-5 minutes, drain on paper towels, season and reserve.

While the onions are cooking prepare the buttermilk cornmeal waffles
(see recipe) and reserve in a warm oven.

On a large serving platter scatter the waffles and top with the fried
chicken pieces. Garnish with the onion rings, crisped rosemary sprigs
and lime wedges. Serve the rosemary lime honey on the side.

Notes:

Feel free to substiute any fresh seasonal herb to compliment the
chicken garnish and coordinate it with the dried herb in the chicken
coating.

Cutting up the chicken …
Remove the backbone from the bird (save for broth or discard or season
and fry with the chicken parts) and remove the two chicken wings and
fold akimbo. Remove the leg/thigh pieces and cut in two for two legs
and two thighs. If the chicken is on the smaller size leave the
breasts whole for 8 piece total. If the chicken is on the heavier side
of 5 lbs cut the breasts in two for ten pieces total. The idea is to
have all the pieces of chicken approximatley the same size for even
cooking.