FRIED CHICKEN WITH SPICY HONEY GLAZE

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken:

6-8 bone-in, skin-on thighs

6-8 bone-in, skin-on drumsticks

3 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup hot sauce

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 quart rendered leaf lard (or peanut or grapeseed oil)

For the seasoned dredging mixture:

3 cups flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon celery powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon yellow mustard powder

For the glaze:

3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon grain mustard

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon flake sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix buttermilk, hot sauce and salt in a large bowl until combined. Place chicken pieces into a ZipLoc bag and pour buttermilk mixture into the bag with the chicken. Refrigerate the bagged chicken overnight (set it in a bowl in case the bag leaks).
2. The next day, mix all of the dredging ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine throughly.
3. Heat the lard (or oil) to 350° in a large cast-iron pan or dutch oven. If using a cast-iron pan, do not fill the pan more than half-way up the rim. While the fat/oil is heating, remove the chicken parts from the buttermilk in batches and begin dredging the parts in the flour mixture 4 at a time. When the oil is at 350°, carefully place the first 4 floured thighs in the oil, waiting a 10-15 seconds between each to allow the oil to maintain the heat as much as possible. While the first 4 thighs fry, dredge the next 4 in the flour mixture (and so on until all pieces are fried. Process all the thighs first and the drumsticks second).
4. Fry each piece for 10-12 minutes, carefully turning the pieces over in the fat/oil half way through, until the internal temperature reaches 156°-165°. As each piece is finished, carefully remove them from the oil and allow to rest on a towel-lined cookie sheet or a cookie sheet with a cooling rack insert. You can keep the finished pieces warm in a 200° oven until ready to serve.
5. When all of the chicken is fried, warm the glaze ingredients in a small sauce pan and coat the chicken with the warm honey mixture using a basting brush. Garnish with the flake salt and serve.

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