Recipe from Chef Suvir Saran’s American Masala
Serves 4
My friends Renée and Carl Behnke are consummate hosts and gourmands and Fried Chicken is one of their favourite dishes to offer a hungry crowd. Renée’s secret for an amazingly crispy and crunchy crust, which is now mine (and yours) too, is to let the chicken rest in flour as the oil heats. I have adapted her recipe and have given it an Indian twist. Indians (like many southerners) love buttermilk, so it’s a natural to use as a liquid spiked with Indian aromatics for the brine. I add even more spices to the flour coating to give the chicken an extra hit of flavour.
Ingredients
• Canola oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps ground coriander
• 2 tsps garam masala
• 2 tsps cracked pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
For the buttermilk brine:
• 3 cups buttermilk
• ¼ cup kosher salt
• 2 tbsps sugar
• 1½ tsps garam masala
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cracked peppercorns
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 3½ to 4-pound chicken cut into 8 parts
Preparation
• Mix the buttermilk with all of the spices for the brine in a large bowl. Transfer to a re-sealable gallon-sized plastic bag. Add the chicken, turn to coat and refrigerate overnight.
• Heat one inch of canola oil in a large heavy-bottomed high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F. Whisk the flour with the spices and add the chicken pieces to it.
• Turn to coat in flour and let the chicken rest in the flour until the oil gets hot. Tap off the excess flour and add as many pieces of chicken to the skillet as you can. Fry until browned, about four to six minutes
• Turn the chicken over and fry until the chicken is deeply browned on the other side, about another four to six minutes. • Using tongs, transfer the chicken pieces to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve while warm or at room temperature.
Photo: Daesha Devon Harris