SOUS VIDE BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

You’ll never have to worry about a raw center in your fried chicken again when you combine two of my favorite cooking methods: sous vide and deep frying! After marinading in a classic buttermilk mixture, this chicken gets sous vided then deep fried for a better texture, better flavor, and to ensure it’s completely cooked through.

ingredients

Buttermilk Marinade – 1 cup buttermilk – 1 tsp kosher salt – 1 tsp garlic powder – 1 tsp onion powder – 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper – 1/2 tsp paprika – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional – 1 1/2 lbs chicken pieces, bone-in or boneless; thighs, breasts, or wings Dredge – 2 large eggs – 1 cup all-purpose flour – 1/2 tsp kosher salt – 1/2 tsp paprika – 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional For Frying – canola oil or other high-heat oil for frying – kosher salt

Marinade – In a small bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. – Add the chicken to your bag of choice and pour the marinade over top. Massage the chicken with the marinade so it is completely coated.

– Seal the bag using your air removal method of choice. I prefer to use a chamber vacuum sealer but a zipper top freezer safe bag will work well, too. – At this point, you can freeze the chicken or let it marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours before cooking.

Sous Vide – When ready to cook, preheat a water bath using an immersion circulator to 150 degrees F. Add the bag of marinated chicken to the water bath and cook for 2-4 hours. – If sous viding in advance, refrigerate until ready to deep fry.

Deep Fry – While the chicken is cooking, prepare your dredging station. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs. In another shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, paprika, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Line a baking sheet with paper towels or have ready a wire rack set over a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Set aside.

When ready to fry the chicken, remove the chicken from the bag and shake off excess marinade. Transfer the chicken to  the shallow dish with the eggs. Discard the cooking bag and its contents.

Turn the chicken so that it is completely coated with egg. Let the excess drip off and then coat each chicken thigh thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture. Gently shake to remove excess flour.

Carefully place the chicken in the oil, frying in batches if necessary so as to not crowd the pan. Turn the chicken as needed, until the skin is golden brown on all sides, about 7 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to the wire rack or paper-towel-lined baking sheet. While hot from frying, sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Serve immediately.