Dinner

Maola Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Looking for a new recipe to test out? Try this tasty Maola Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe developed by chef Lee Gregory, a James Beard Foundation Best Chef Semi-Finalist. It’s perfect for summer picnics or really any time of year.

Chef Gregory has two restaurants in Richmond, Virginia: Southbound which focuses on locally sourced ingredients for hearty, upscale dishes, and Alewife, which is focused on seafood.

Download a printable copy of the recipe here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 3 to 4 lb. chicken, cut into 8 or 10 pieces, backbone & wing tips removed
1 cup Maola Buttermilk
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rice flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Peanut oil (for frying)

Instructions

Whisk 1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Season chicken with spices. Place chicken in a medium bowl, cover, and chill overnight.
Let chicken stand covered at room temperature for 1 hour. Whisk Maola buttermilk, egg, and ½ cup water in a medium bowl. Whisk the flours, cornstarch, remaining 1 tablespoon salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon pepper in a 9x13x2 baking dish.
Pour oil into a 10”–12” cast-iron skillet or other heavy straight-sided skillet (not nonstick) to a depth of ¾”. Prop deep-fry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°.
Meanwhile, set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet.
Working with 1 piece at a time (use one hand for wet ingredients and the other for dry ingredients), dip chicken in buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge in flour mixture; tap against bowl to shake off excess. Place 5 pieces of chicken in skillet. Fry chicken, turning with tongs every 1–2 minutes and adjusting heat to maintain a steady oil temperature of 300°–325°, until skin is deep golden brown and your instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165°, about 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for thighs, legs, and breasts.
Using tongs, remove chicken from skillet, allowing excess oil to drip back into skillet; transfer chicken to prepared rack. Season with salt and pepper.
Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.