Mole Hot Fried Chicken
By Tim ChinPublished on May 25, 2017
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Brine
1 cup kosher salt ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar 2 quarts water 3½ pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmedCoating
1¼ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup potato starch 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon pepper, divided1 teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup buttermilkSpice Oil
⅓ cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons sesame seeds 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1½ teaspoons chipotle chile powder ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon cocoa powder ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin 3 quarts vegetable oil for fryingBefore You Begin
In our testing we found that a combination of potato starch and all-purpose flour created a supercrunchy exterior that remained crisp for hours. Find it in your supermarket or online. We like to serve this chicken with Pickled Red Onions, dill pickle chips, crème fraÎche, white bread or torta rolls, and fresh cilantro.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt and sugar in water in large bowl. Add chicken, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Drain chicken.
- Whisk flour, potato starch, cayenne, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and baking powder together in large shallow dish. Whisk buttermilk, remaining 1 teaspoon pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Working with 3 pieces at a time, dunk chicken in buttermilk mixture, then dredge in flour mixture, pressing mixture onto chicken to form thick, even coating. Place chicken, skin side up, on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Whisk all ingredients together in small saucepan. Bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is fragrant and slightly darkened, about 5 minutes. (Cooled spice oil can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat over medium heat before using.)
- Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees F/93 degrees C. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F/177 degrees C. Place half of chicken in oil and fry until breasts register 155 degrees F/68 degrees C and drumsticks/thighs register 165 degrees F/74 degrees C, 13 to 16 minutes. (Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 300 degrees F/149 degrees C and 325 degrees F/163 degrees C.) Transfer chicken to second wire rack set in second rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Return oil to 350 degrees F/177 degrees C and repeat with remaining chicken. Stir spice oil to recombine and brush over both sides of chicken. Serve.
for the brine
for the coating
for the spice oil
Yield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Brine
Coating
Spice Oil
Ingredients
Brine
Coating
Spice Oil
Ingredients
Brine
Coating
Spice Oil
Why This Recipe Works
Nashville Hot Chicken: Packed to the brim with cayenne pepper, this Tennessee fried chicken specialty goes on the short list of foods that have had us in tears, desperately reaching for a glass of milk. But it was worth the pain for incredibly crunchy, juicy fried chicken. The real star of Nashville Hot Chicken is the spicy oil (or lard) that gets lacquered onto the craggy crust after the chicken comes out of the fryer. Unlike buffalo sauce, which contains lots of water that quickly sogs out fried wings, the oil adds flavor without compromising crunch. For this recipe we take that brilliant technique and combine it with the rich flavors of Mexican mole—roasted chiles, chocolate, cinnamon, cumin—for an intense, dark chile oil that we brush onto the crunchy crust after frying.
Now for that crunchy crust. To ramp up the crisp and crunch factor, we use a blend of all-purpose flour and potato starch (the secret ingredient in Japanese fried dishes such as chicken karaage) in the coating. Due to its unique composition, potato starch forms a dense, brittle exterior when fried. After dredging the chicken, we let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator to allow the starches to hydrate so that the coating is thick and cohesive, not crumbly and dusty. This chicken is spicy and packed with deep, satisfying flavor, but it won’t melt your face off. In fact, you’ll probably go back for seconds.
Photography by Kevin White
Food Styling by Catrine Kelty
Before You Begin
In our testing we found that a combination of potato starch and all-purpose flour created a supercrunchy exterior that remained crisp for hours. Find it in your supermarket or online. We like to serve this chicken with Pickled Red Onions, dill pickle chips, crème fraÎche, white bread or torta rolls, and fresh cilantro.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt and sugar in water in large bowl. Add chicken, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Drain chicken.
- Whisk flour, potato starch, cayenne, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and baking powder together in large shallow dish. Whisk buttermilk, remaining 1 teaspoon pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Working with 3 pieces at a time, dunk chicken in buttermilk mixture, then dredge in flour mixture, pressing mixture onto chicken to form thick, even coating. Place chicken, skin side up, on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Whisk all ingredients together in small saucepan. Bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is fragrant and slightly darkened, about 5 minutes. (Cooled spice oil can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat over medium heat before using.)
- Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees F/93 degrees C. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F/177 degrees C. Place half of chicken in oil and fry until breasts register 155 degrees F/68 degrees C and drumsticks/thighs register 165 degrees F/74 degrees C, 13 to 16 minutes. (Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 300 degrees F/149 degrees C and 325 degrees F/163 degrees C.) Transfer chicken to second wire rack set in second rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Return oil to 350 degrees F/177 degrees C and repeat with remaining chicken. Stir spice oil to recombine and brush over both sides of chicken. Serve.
for the brine
for the coating
for the spice oil
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