Recipe: Buttermilk-brined Fried Chicken

I was flipping through my favorite recipe book when he suddenly said "Oooh, that looks good," pointing to the picture on the recipe book. "You want it?" I asked, and he replied "sure, I haven't eaten fried chicken for a long time, and I'm craving for it."

Poor hubby, he has sensitive stomach. He often gets diarrhea when he eats outside, even at the fast food restaurants. He once got stomach problem from eating at the KFC restaurant, and he hasn't gone there again since. 

So this chicken was specially made for him. Hoping it was good enough for his appetite and taste :D

Brining makes the meat juicier. I always do it when I roast chicken or turkey, and this is the first time I do it for frying chicken. The taste? It was awesome! brining in buttermilk brings out such flavorful and wonderful taste. I have never thought it would taste that good considering I only use buttermilk for baking. I was wrong,  and I would use it again whenever I'm going to brine our favorite poultry meats :D

Buttermilk-brined Fried Chicken (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook
book)

For brining
3 cups buttermilk (3 cups milk combined with 3 tablespoons vinegar)
1/4 cup salt (or less)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 pound chicken

For the coating
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
a dash of thyme
3/4 cup buttermilk
Cooking oil
*you can add dry breadcrumbs to make the chicken crunchier, or add chili powder for spicier taste.

Direction


1. Combine chicken, 3 cups buttermilk, salt, sugar in a large Ziploc bag . Chill for 2 to 4 hours, remove chicken from brine. Drain chicken and pat dry. Discard brine.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, black pepper, and thyme. Place the 3/4 cup buttermilk in a shallow dish. Coat chicken with a flour mixture, dip in the buttermilk, and coat again with the flour mixture. Fry chicken for about 15 minutes or  until cooked. Enjoy! :D

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