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Sunday Bird

Source of Recipe

From "The Bourbon Country Cookbook" by David Danielson


Recipe Introduction

"It's just not Sunday dinner in the South without an expertly prepared sacrificial bird on the table. The true secret to this pass-the-chicken-again dish is lard. Don't be afraid. Because of the lard (in part), this chicken is wonderfully crispy -- even when you sneak a leftover piece from the refrigerator the next morning."

List of Ingredients

Brine:
â—¦ 3 cups buttermilk
â—¦ 2 Tbsp kosher salt
â—¦ 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 tsp hot sauce
â—¦ 2 whole chickens (3 to 3½ pounds each), each cut into 8 pieces (2 breasts, 2 wings, 2 thighs, 2 legs)
â—¦ 1 (48-ounce) bottle canola oil
â—¦ 16 ounces lard

Flour Mixture:
â—¦ 2 cups self-rising flour
â—¦ ½ tsp celery salt
â—¦ 1 tsp onion powder
â—¦ 1 tsp garlic powder
â—¦ ½ tsp ground cumin
â—¦ ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
â—¦ ¼ tsp ground sage
â—¦ 1 Tbsp kosher salt
â—¦ ½ tsp white pepper


Recipe

To make the brine:
In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Add the chicken pieces, making sure they are completely submerged. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours.

To make the flour mixture:
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, sage, salt and pepper.

In a large cast iron skillet or similar deep pan, add the oil and lard and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350° F.

One at a time, remove the chicken pieces from the brine, shake off the excess liquid, and place them in the flour mixture. Coat each piece well and shake off the extra. Transfer to a baking sheet until ready to cook.

Working in batches and making sure not to overcrowd the pan, place a few pieces of the chicken in the hot oil and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Flip each piece and cook for an additional 6 to 8 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown all over and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165° F.

Transfer the chicken to a clean baking sheet and continue cooking the remaining pieces. Serve immediately.


Makes 6 servings