Southern-style buttermilk fried chicken with crispy coating

Ingredients

Brine

• 1.2 kg chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, wings)
• 500 ml buttermilk
• 2 tbsp hot sauce
• 2 tsp salt

Coating

• 250 g plain flour
• 60 g cornflour
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Fry

• 1 litre vegetable oil (peanut or sunflower)

Method

1. Brine. Mix buttermilk, hot sauce, salt. Submerge chicken. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
2. Season. Combine flour, cornflour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, oregano, salt, black pepper in a bowl.
3. Coat. Lift chicken from brine, dredge in seasoned flour. Press coating on firmly. Rest 10 minutes on a wire rack.
4. Double-dip. Dip floured pieces back into leftover brine briefly, then a second coat of seasoned flour. Press again. This is the secret to craggy crust.
5. Heat. Heat oil to 170°C in a deep pan or fryer. Don’t fill the pan more than a third.
6. Fry. Lower chicken in. Fry 13-15 minutes for thighs/drumsticks, 8-10 for wings, turning halfway. Don’t crowd.
7. Drain. Lift onto a wire rack over a tray. Hold in a low oven (90°C) while you cook the rest.
8. Serve. Hot, with pickles and slaw on the side.

Tips

• Brine overnight. The buttermilk does the heavy lifting — skip it and you’ve got cardboard.
• Oil temp matters. 170°C, no lower. Cold oil = greasy chicken.
• Rest on a wire rack, not paper towel. Steam underneath = soggy bottom.