Pickle Brined Fried Chicken
The end of a pickle jar (which I greet quite often) makes an easy excuse for this dish, and this dish makes an easy excuse to open a new jar of pickles. It’s a cycle I’m not keen to break.
Serves 4 to 6
Brine
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon dill seed
1 bunch fresh chopped dill leaves or 1 tablespoon dried dill
Chicken
6 bone-in skinless chicken thighs
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into halves or thirds, depending on the size
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil for frying (enough to fill the skillet about 1/3 of the way up)
1/4 cup Sriracha
2 tablespoons honey
1. Toast the mustard seed, coriander, peppercorns and cloves in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the seeds become aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar, salt, sugar and dill seeds and bring to a boil, stirring, until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat and stir in fresh dill and 2 cups cold water. Add the chicken and enough water to completely submerge. Cover the dish and refrigerate about 3 hours or overnight.
2. When ready to cook the chicken, remove from the brine and scrape off any seeds or dill leaves. Place the buttermilk in a large bowl and add the chicken.
3. Place the flour, sea salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a separate large, shallow bowl or plastic bag and stir or shake to mix. I like to use a bag because the chicken get coated all over.
4. Place the oil in a large cast-iron skillet and place over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches between 360°F and 375°F. The oil should be about 1/4-inch deep, enough to submerge the chicken about halfway; the level of the oil will rise slightly when you add the chicken.
5. Working in batches, remove the chicken from the buttermilk and dredge or shake in the flour mixture, one piece at a time, to coat evenly on all sides, beginning with the large pieces. Shake off any excess flour.
6. Place the chicken, 6 to 8 pieces at a time, in the hot oil and fry until golden brown and cooked through, turning once, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd the skillet for even frying. Check the pieces to make sure they are not browning too quickly, if so, reduce the heat or turn the pieces on their side. Bring the oil back up to temperature before starting the next batch.
7. Transfer to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet to drain, season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Keep in a warm oven while the next batch in frying.
8. While the chicken is cooking, combine the siraccha and honey in a small bowl to mix. Serve the chicken hot or room temperature with the honey drizzled on top of the chicken or served alongside for dipping.
Sidebar: On the Shelves: Pickles
We can’t get (or hold onto) enough pickles at the Market, stocking brined carrots from Phickles of Athens, Georgia and spindly beans from Green River Picklers in Asheville, North Carolina. We also put up our own goods to serve on a pickle plate along with pimento cheese and crackers—from beets and okra to eggs, radishes and butternut squash.