How to make the pickle-brined fried chicken recipe from Terrine
Think “comfort food,” and for many of us, that means fried chicken. Unpretentious and best eaten with your fingers, there is still an art to great fried chicken. Take a tender piece of meat, delicately season it and dredge it with a dusting of flour, then fry it to crisp, golden perfection.
At Terrine restaurant on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles, chef Kris Morningstar offers his take on the classic with a pickle-brined fried chicken. This isn’t chicken brined in actual pickle juice, but rather brined in a mixture of pickling spice, garlic and fresh dill. Coat the pieces with a cayenne-flavored cornstarch slurry, then dredge them in a spiced flour coating before resting the chicken on a rack in the refrigerator for an hour (the extra drying time makes for an extra-crisp crust). Eat is as you wish, or do as they do at the restaurant and serve the fried chicken over a bed of warm grits drizzled with maple syrup. The chicken has just the right amount of savory tang, the pickle brine playing nicely against the sweetness of the maple. Oh, and don’t forget a stack of napkins.
For more of our favorite fried chicken recipes, check out this photo gallery:
TERRINE’S PICKLE-BRINED FRIED CHICKEN
Total time: 2 hours, 20 minutes, plus brining time | Serves 6 to 8
Note: Adapted from a recipe by chef Kris Morningstar of Terrine restaurant in Los Angeles.
BRINE
2 quarts water
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (125 grams) kosher salt
¼ cup plus 1 heaping teaspoon (62.5 grams) sugar
6 tablespoons pickling spice
1 head garlic, split
1 ounce fresh dill
3 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1. In a heavy pot, combine the water, salt, sugar, spice, garlic and dill and bring to a simmer over high heat. Remove from heat and cool completely.
2. Place the thighs in a non-reactive container. Pour the brine over the thighs, keeping the thighs submerged, cover and refrigerate overnight.
PICKLE-BRINED FRIED CHICKEN
About 1 ½ cups cornstarch
2 teaspoons cayenne powder, or to taste, divided
1 cup water
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
2 cups Wondra flour
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Brined chicken thighs
Canola or vegetable oil, for frying
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cayenne powder (or to taste), and the water to form a slurry. Set aside.
2. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the remaining teaspoon cayenne, the paprika, Old Bay seasoning, pepper, flours and salt.
3. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Dip a piece into the slurry. Shake the excess slurry off the piece and dredge in the flour to coat completely. Place the chicken on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Refrigerate the chicken, uncovered, for 1 hour.
4. When the chicken is almost ready, heat a deep-fryer or heavy pot filled at least 3 inches deep with oil to a temperature of 325 degrees.
5. Fry the chicken, 2 to 3 pieces at a time, until the skin is crisp and golden-brown, the meat is white and firm and a thermometer inserted reads 165 degrees, 8 to 12 minutes. Drain the chicken on a rack, and serve immediately.
Each of 8 servings: Calories 641; Protein 31 grams; Carbohydrates 58 grams; Fiber 1 gram; Fat 31 grams; Saturated fat 6 grams; Cholesterol 152 mg; Sugar 1 gram; Sodium 882 mg
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