Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1.5 cups full-fat buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tbsp Louisiana-style hot sauce
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard
  • 2 cups self-rising flour
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup fine grind yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

  1. Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken pieces completely dry with paper towels. Note: Excess moisture on the skin is the enemy of a crispy crust. Season lightly with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
  2. Mix the wet wash. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, hot sauce, and yellow mustard until completely smooth and pale orange.
  3. Soak the bird. Submerge the chicken in this mixture and let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
  4. Whisk the dry coating. In a separate large container, whisk together the self rising flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, and white pepper.
  5. Heat the oil. Pour 1 quart of vegetable oil into your Dutch oven and heat to 350°F (175°C) until a pinch of flour sizzles immediately.
  6. The first dredge. Remove chicken from the buttermilk wash, dredge thoroughly in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
  7. The double dredge. Dip the chicken back into the buttermilk briefly, then dredge a second time in the flour until a thick, craggy paste forms on the skin.
  8. Start the fry. Place 3-4 pieces into the hot oil carefully. Fry for 12-15 minutes until the crust is deep mahogany and internal temp is 74°C.
  9. Drain and rest. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs and place on a wire cooling rack until the sizzling subsides. > Chef's Tip: Don't move the chicken for the first 3 minutes of frying. This allows the proteins in the flour to set and bond to the skin, preventing the breading from falling off when you flip it.