Fried Chicken

26 Ratings
  • 5 10
  • 4 7
  • 3 6
  • 2 2
  • 1 1

A simple spice-filled brine ups the flavor ante on this crisp and juicy fried chicken from Carolyn Bane and Erika Geldzahler, co-owners of Brooklyn restaurant Pies 'n' Thighs. Serve it alongside one of our delicious side dishes for a satisfying meal.

The Martha Stewart Show, January 2011, The Martha Stewart Show, January 2011

Gallery

Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary

Servings:
4
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Fill a large pot with 16 cups water and add salt and sugar; bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring, until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat and transfer brine to a large container; let cool completely.

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  • Season chicken with paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Add chicken to brine; cover and transfer to refrigerator for 24 hours.

  • Fill a large cast-iron skillet with canola oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.

  • Place flour in a shallow dish. Drain chicken and rinse under cold running water; dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Add chicken to hot oil and cook until golden brown and crisp and chicken reaches 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 13 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; season with salt and serve immediately.

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Reviews (15)

26 Ratings
  • 5 10
  • 4 7
  • 3 6
  • 2 2
  • 1 1
Martha Stewart Member
07/06/2015
I have made this numerous times for my family, and they love it. The trick to the brine is to use the coarsest salt that you can find, I like a very coarse sea salt that I get from a local Mexican grocer. This chicken is delicious, especially when served with fresh, not frozen, waffles, and greens. Classic Southern food.
Martha Stewart Member
01/25/2014
Rinsing the chicken is important too. Don't forget to rinse.
Martha Stewart Member
10/10/2011
I wish I had taken time to read the reviews before I made the chicken...I would have cut the salt in half. I used table salt instead of kosher salt and that may have made a difference. The chicken fried up beautifully with a lovely crunchy crust. When I bit into a piece I was really disappointed. I had planned to take some to my neighbors but decided against it. I do like the idea of brining the chicken because it did cook up nicely and I think that cutting back on the salt will help.
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Martha Stewart Member
09/28/2011
I have to say my mouth watered at the thought of this recipe and was so very disappointed with the results. We made this and everyone was so excited to eat it, everyone's first bite commented on how salty it was, so we brought out the BBQ sauce to 'hide" the taste. Well we should have just threw it away. All 5 of us who ate it was up all night with very upset tummys from the salt. Everyone was bloated and still upset the next morning. WILL. NEVER. MAKE. THIS. AGAIN!. Very disappointing.
Martha Stewart Member
03/16/2011
Thank you all for your comments, I used less salt and add about 2 Tb of vinegar after the water was cool, left over night. The taste was irresistible to eat only one piece. My family enjoyed, this one of my favorites recipes. *- )
Martha Stewart Member
03/10/2011
Sadly I read the comments after spending 2 days making the chicken (24 hours). I almost brought it to my friend's birthday party. Absolutely inedible. Did any figure this out as the project was easy and I love the look and feel (and it wasn't a mess and then it was just a "bar of salt"!
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Martha Stewart Member
02/12/2011
I too thought the chicken was too salty but not inedible, at least only by me. My husband and son thought it was fine. I am sensitive to salt and I have high blood pressure so it was too much salt for me. The next time I will only use 1/2 cup of salt instead of 1 cup. I did love the fact that the chicken didn't burn faster than it cooked since the chicken was brined beforehand. Brining is the way to go and I will use this technique from now on when frying, baking or broiling meats.
Martha Stewart Member
02/05/2011
To answer Geralyn - Table Salt weighs out heavier than Kosher Salt so you would use half as much. With Table Salt the salt/sugar ratio will be 1:1 - Kosher Salt is 2:1 to sugar. I too think timing is the problem. Chicken parts would be 1-2 hours tops! A whole chicken is about 8 hrs. A big 20 lb. turkey overnight. Hope this helps!
Martha Stewart Member
02/05/2011
To answer Geralyn - Table Salt
Martha Stewart Member
02/02/2011
I'm going to try 1/2 c. Kosher salt, etc in 1 gallon of water, no heat, and chill for only 12 hours. I'll post next week. :)
Martha Stewart Member
02/02/2011
I think the error may be in the lenght of time the chicken is in the brine. Most brining instructions for pieces of chicken is a couple hours not overnight.
Martha Stewart Member
02/01/2011
Wow, read the posts after I had already made the brine. So I removed 1/2 of the brine and replaced it with just water. Chicken was super, super salty. We also had to toss all of the chicken. Very disappointing.
Martha Stewart Member
02/01/2011
cup of salt is for the brine (will dilute in the 16 cups of water). season chicken after fried (a pinch or more).
Martha Stewart Member
01/31/2011
I used krosher salt..oh my My chicken was so salty. I had to throw it away We could not eat it. what a waste..could there be a misprint on the amout of salt to be used???
Martha Stewart Member
01/30/2011
Oh. My .God. I think I messed this up by using regular salt rather than kosher/coarse salt. It was like biting into the salt llick we leave out for the deer. Does it really make that much difference using regular old Morton's table salt vs. coarse salt for the brine? Please advise!
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