Crunchy Oven or Grill Fried Chicken

I don't eat fried chicken often, but sometimes it is exactly what I want.  The crunch, the burst of juicy flavor when you bite in, even waving a drumstick around to punctuate conversation is a childhood memory that I sometimes want to relive.  Served hot for dinner, or cold with potato salad and watermelon on a picnic table somewhere... it's one of those experiences that serve as a highlight of life.

Unfortunately, unless I want to deal with a hot greasy mess in the kitchen, or the nondescript flabby awfulness of "fried" chicken takeout, there hasn't been much fried chicken in my world in recent years. Until now. I've made this recipe a couple of times now, and it's fantastic. Super crunchy right out of the oven, delicious and herby served cold. And - best of all - easy enough to make using a grill, so I don't even have to heat up the house with my oven. So much win.

This recipe originates in America's Test Kitchen. Check out their website for a lot of great recipe ideas.

Ingredients:

• 8 Kennedy Ranch chicken drumsticks, skin removed

Buttermilk brine:

• 1/2 c plus 2 T table salt
• 1/4 c sugar
• 2 T paprika
• 3 medium heads garlic, cloves separated and smashed skin on with the side of a knife
• 3 bay leaves, crumbled
• 7 cups buttermilk

Coating:

• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• 5 oz Melba toast,* crushed until it resembles sand
• 2 large eggs
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1 t dried thyme
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1/2 t dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• Fresh oregano or parsley leaves to garnish

The night before you want to serve this, or the morning you want to serve it:

In a gallon zip-lock freezer bag, combine all brine ingredients other than the buttermilk.  Use a rolling pin or flat meat pounder to crush the garlic into the other ingredients, until you have a salty, garlicky crumble.  

Pour the buttermilk into a very large bowl, and stir in the garlic mixture until the salt and sugar dissolve.  Add the chicken drumsticks, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least two hours, up to overnight.  

Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse it well and place it on a large wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.  Throw the brine away.  Refrigerate chicken uncovered for another two hours.  At this point, if you're not ready to cook it, you can cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several more hours.  

An hour before dinner:

Preheat oven or covered grill to 400-degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and then set a wire rack on the sheet large enough to hold the chicken without pieces touching.

Put the crushed Melba toast into a pie plate, and drizzle it with oil.  Mix well.

In a second pie plate, combine the eggs, mustard, thyme, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder and cayenne.  Mix well.

Working with one piece at a time, coat chicken with egg mixture until well covered, then place it in the Melba toast dish.  Sprinkle Melba toast over chicken, and press it into the piece.  Turn it over, repeat on the other side.  Gently shake off any extra and place piece on baking rack.  Repeat with all pieces, making sure that none of them touch.

Place baking sheet with chicken into oven or onto grill.  Close lid if using grill, effectively creating an oven.  Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a leg reads 165-degrees, about 35-40 minutes.  

Place chicken on serving plate, sprinkle with some fresh oregano or parsley, and serve.



*If you can't find Melba toast at the store, it's easy enough to make at home.  AND it gives you an opportunity for a flavor boost!

You'll need:

• 1 loaf Pepperidge Farm very thin sliced white bread
• 1 stick good butter, softened
• 1/2 t powdered garlic or oregano

Mix garlic evenly into the butter.  Spread both sides of bread with butter mixture, and arrange evenly on a baking sheet.  Bake at 250-degrees for 40 minutes or until crispy, turning half-way to crisp both sides.