Buttermilk Chicken with Cornbread and Cucumber-Celery Salad

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buttermilk fried chicken with cornbread and salad
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
55 mins
Servings:
4

Our baked version of the classic buttermilk fried chicken still has plenty of crunch. It's perfect alongside cornbread and cucumber-celery salad. Cook an extra chicken breast alongside the breaded pieces for later use in our recipe for Barley Salad with Chicken and Corn.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups buttermilk

  • Coarse salt and ground pepper

  • 1 whole chicken (3 ½ pounds), cut into 10 pieces and skin removed, plus 1 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (¾ pound)

  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced

  • 1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced

  • 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced, plus ¼ cup celery leaves

  • 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

  • Scallion Cornbread Muffins

Directions

  1. In a bowl, mix buttermilk, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add 10 pieces from whole chicken; stir to coat. Marinate 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours).

  2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, pulse bread until fine crumbs form, 30 seconds. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet; bake until golden brown, 7 minutes. Transfer breadcrumbs to a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons oil.

  3. Set a wire rack in baking sheet. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off as much liquid as possible, and coat with breadcrumbs. Place on rack, along with nonbreaded chicken breast, and season all with salt and pepper. Bake until chicken is cooked through and golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through (tent chicken with foil if overbrowning). Refrigerate extra breast for later use.

  4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine cucumber, shallot, celery and leaves, vinegar, and 2 teaspoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Serve salad with buttermilk chicken and muffins.

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