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.
Watch Chef Gregory make the recipe here.
Maola Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe
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 (not kosher), 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)
- 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.
