Recipe: Marcus Samuelsson's Whole Fried Chicken
Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, James Beard Award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson says his recipes pay tribute to his African and Scandinavian families.
Marcus Samuelsson's Whole Fried Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 gallon water
1 cup coarse kosher salt
1 whole fried chicken (3 ½ lbs.)
4 cups buttermilk
1 ½ cups coconut milk
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. smoked paprika
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. freshly ground white pepper
Peanut oil for frying
Preparation:
Put 8 cups water and the salt in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the salt. Pour into a large container, add the remaining 8 cups of water, and cool to room temperature. Add the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours. Drain.
Whisk the buttermilk, coconut milk, garlic, and paprika in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Submerge the chicken in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Pour the peanut oil into the turkey fryer. Heat to 360º F.
Coat the chicken while the oil heats. Put the flour, semolina, cornstarch and pepper into a bowl and whisk to combine. Let any excess marinade drip off the chicken, then roll in the flour coating, packing it on. Place on a rack set over a baking sheet. If the coating looks damp, roll it in the flour again.
Fry until the chicken is a rich brown and has an internal temperature of 165º F, about 10 minutes per batch. Keep an eye on the heat and adjust to keep the oil between 350 and 375º F. Drain on a rack set over a baking sheet.
- Recipe index: "Sunday Morning"'s 2015 "Food Issue" - Delicious menu suggestions from top chefs and the editors of Bon Appetit magazine
For more info:
- marcussamuelsson.com
- Red Rooster Harlem, New York
- "Yes, Chef: A Memoir" by Marcus Samuelsson with Veronica Chambers (Random House); Also available in Trade Paperback, eBook and Unabridged Audio CD formats
- "New American Table" by Marcus Samuelsson (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
- Follow Marcus Samuelsson on Twitter