Cooking Lesson #778: Southern-Style Crunchy Fried Chicken Thighs

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? Last fall I was in South Carolina working on a new food processing project and had the chance to enjoy a fried chicken and breakfast biscuit sandwich. The extra crunchy fried chicken was marinated and infused with the orange and sparkling wine flavors—the flavors that are the base ingredients for mimosas. It’s not that South Carolina has the lock on this popular brunch drink, but they certainly have the lock on Crunchy Fried Chicken.
 
This recipe is good enough to stand on its own and makes a great biscuit sandwich. In this case the biscuit is as important as the chicken. Look for my next recipe to unlock the secrets of Old Fashion Southern States Biscuits. You will soon be the masters of creating your own version of my juicy, layered crunchy boneless chicken thighs biscuits with poached or scrambled egg and slaw, y’all.
 
Prep time: 30 minutes
Marinade time: 1-1/2 hours up to 24 hours
Refrigerator time: 30 minutes up to 2 hours
Fry time:
Yield:  4 to 6  servings
 
Ingredients 
For the marinade and chicken
1/2 cup dry sparkling white wine, such as Prosecco (Italian) or Cava (Spanish)
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 large oranges)
5 smashed and peeled garlic cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground coriander (the secret ingredient)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like it a little spicier)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any excess fat
 
2 quarts peanut oil for frying (another great secret)
 
For the chicken coating for frying
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups cornstarch
4 teaspoons ground coriander, divided
2 teaspoons roasted granulated garlic (I prefer Penzy’s)
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons water
 
Directions
To make the marinade and marinate the chicken

1. Combine the wine, orange zest and juice, garlic, salt, coriander and pepper flakes in large bowl.
2. Add the chicken to marinade and toss to coat.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

To make and coat the chicken

1. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, 3 teaspoons of coriander, granulated garlic, baking powder, salt, pepper and cayenne together in a second large bowl.
2. Add water… using your fingers, rub flour mixture and water together until craggy bits form throughout.
3. Working 1 piece of chicken at a time, remove from the marinade allowing excess to drip off, then drop into flour mixture, turning to thoroughly coat and pressing to adhere.
4. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed sheet pan.
5. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours before frying.
6. Set a wire rack in the second rimmed sheet pan and line half of the rack with triple layer of paper towels.
7. Add the oil to large Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat to 350˚ F
8. Add half of chicken to oil and fry until golden brown… about 7-8 minutes. The internal temperature should register at least 175⁰ F.
9. Adjust the burner, if necessary, to maintain the oil temperature between 335˚ F and 350˚ F.
10. Transfer the chicken to paper towel-lined side of rack and let drain on each side for 30 seconds, then move to unlined side of rack.
11. Return oil to 335˚ F. and repeat with remaining chicken.
12. Transfer the cooked chicken to a platter and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon coriander.
13. Let the chicken cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
14. Look for my next recipe on Southern-Baked Biscuits and how to build the best fried chicken breakfast sandwiches. Yummmmm!

ChefSecret:  Chicken thighs stay moist and juicy are best suited for chicken biscuit sandwiches. For a brunch special you can use scrambled, folded omelet or pouch egg on top of the biscuit. I use a layer of coleslaw on the bottom half of the biscuit.

Quip of the Day:  Q. How did the fried chicken thigh propose to its partner? A. With a wing and a prayer.
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