NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN RECIPE COOKS COUNTRY RECIPES

Steps:

• Toss chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Transfer chicken to a bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Whisk buttermilk, pickle brine, hot sauce, and egg together in a mixing bowl. Pour marinade over chicken and stir to ensure each piece is thoroughly coated. Cover and let chicken marinate in refrigerator 2 to 4 hours.
• Mix flour and salt together in a shallow flat dish. Remove chicken from marinade and blot with paper towels. Reserve marinade. Toss chicken in flour until thoroughly coated. Return chicken to marinade, coating all sides; remove chicken from marinade allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Coat the chicken once again in flour mixture. Place on a rack. Repeat with all chicken pieces. Allow to sit out about 15 minutes to allow coating to dry out a bit.
• Place butter and lard in a large pot. Add cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Place over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until fats melt. Remove from heat; keep sauce warm.
• Fill cast iron skillet about 1/3 of the way with vegetable oil. Heat oil to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat. Carefully place chicken into hot oil, skin side down. Maintain an oil temperature of 325 degrees F, adjusting heat as need. Fry until instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
• Transfer chicken to a rack to drain. Brush with the sauce on both sides.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in fridge 3 hours or up to overnight. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a metal rack. In a shallow bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and hot sauce. In another shallow bowl, whisk together flour, paprika, and cayenne. Pat chicken dry, then dredge in flour mixture, then milk mixture, then flour mixture again, and place on wire rack. Repeat until all chicken is breaded.  In a large pot, heat oil until a candy thermometer inserted into pot reads 350°. Working in batches, fry chicken until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Scoop out 1/2 cup hot oil, and let remaining oil cool in pot before discarding.  Make spicy oil: In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt. Pour in reserved hot frying oil and whisk to combine. Brush over chicken before serving.