Instructions

brine chicken

Whisk 2 quarts cold water, ½ cup hot sauce, ½ cup table salt, and ½ cup sugar in large bowl until salt and sugar dissolve. Add 1 whole chicken, quartered, and refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

bloom spices

Heat 3 tablespoons peanut oil in small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to small bowl.

dredge

Remove chicken from refrigerator and pour off brine. Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt in large bowl. Dredge chicken pieces 2 at a time in flour mixture. Shake excess flour from chicken and transfer to wire rack. (Do not discard seasoned flour.)

fry and brush

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat remaining oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Return chicken pieces to flour mixture and turn to coat. Fry half of chicken, adjusting burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature between 300 and 325 degrees, until deep golden brown and white meat registers 160 degrees (175 degrees for dark meat), 20 to 25 minutes. Drain chicken on clean wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Bring oil back to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken. Stir spicy oil mixture to recombine and brush over both sides of chicken. Serve on white bread with pickles.