Tender fried chicken in kefir

Votes: 1

Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

Nutritional value per serving:

Calories 1992, total fat 151 G., saturated fats 31 G., proteins 66 G., carbohydrates 92 G., fiber 4 G., cholesterol 210 mg, sodium 1889 mg, sugar 13 G.

Before frying, Molly Yeh marinates her chicken in buttermilk with salt, black pepper, sugar, cayenne pepper, garlic, and thyme. "What does this marinade do? It essentially draws moisture out of the chicken, and then, when the chicken rehydrates, it's infused with the flavor of the savory marinade, resulting in perfectly juicy pieces after frying," says Molly.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Marinade

3 cups of sour milk or kefir
3 tablespoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. sugar
0.5 tsp ground cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 chicken weighing 1.5 kg, cut into 10 pieces (2 wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs, each breast with bones cut in half crosswise)

Frying

Peanut oil for frying
2.5 cups of flour
0.5 cup cornstarch
1 tbsp. sweet paprika
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
0.5 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup sour milk or kefir
Za'atar, for sprinkling
Special equipment: deep fat thermometer

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: chicken, thyme, ground cayenne pepper, sour milk, kefir, paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Marinade:

Combine kefir, salt, pepper, sugar, cayenne pepper, garlic, and thyme in a 4-quart zip-lock plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces. Press out any excess air, then seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
When you're ready to roast the chicken, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Pour 2–3 inches of peanut oil into a Dutch oven or large cast-iron skillet and heat to 350°F (175°C). Place racks on two rimmed baking sheets, and place one next to the stovetop.
Frying:

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, paprika, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, mustard, and cayenne pepper. Drizzle in the kefir in 3 or 4 additions, stirring in flour in between to form small clumps.
Taking the chicken out of the brine one piece at a time, coat it thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture. Place the chicken skin-side up on the grill.
When the oil is hot, lightly coat the thighs and drumsticks in the flour mixture again. Fry for 2 minutes, then add the wings. Continue frying the chicken, heating the oil to approximately 170°C, for another 4 minutes.
Flip and continue cooking until both sides are crisp and deep golden brown and the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 165°F (74°C), another 4 to 6 minutes (the chicken will take 10 to 12 minutes to cook in total once the thighs and drumsticks are added to the oil).
Transfer the chicken to a second rack to drain any excess fat. Heat the oil again to 175°C. Lightly coat the breast pieces and fry them in the same way as the thighs, turning once, for a total of 10–12 minutes. Place them on the rack with the remaining pieces. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and sprinkle with za'atar.