By Sam Sifton
- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus 3 to 5 hours’ brining
- Rating
- 4(510)
- Notes
- Read community notes
John Currence, of City Grocery in Oxford, Miss., spent a long time in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit, and was justly celebrated for his hard work there helping to rebuild a cathedral of Southern fried chicken, Willie Mae’s Scotch House. In his 2013 cookbook, “Pickles, Pigs and Whiskey,” Currence paid tribute to the wet batter used on Willie Mae’s legendary dish. But for the purpose of weekend chicken warriors we have omitted it in our adaptation of his homage, concentrating instead on Currence’s use of a co*ke-based poultry brine that not only adds some sweetness to the chicken thighs he uses but mildly tenderizes them along the way. Let the meat sit in the brine for a few hours before using, but not so long as overnight, where it really begins to break down. Then dry the thighs, dredge them in seasoned flour, and fry in peanut oil, ideally enhanced by lard. The result is mahogany-brown chicken with a crisp crust and a luscious interior.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 5cups Coca-Cola
- 1tablespoon kosher salt
- 10sprigs fresh thyme
- 4cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 4teaspoons mild hot sauce like Crystal, Texas Pete or Cholula
- 8 to 12chicken thighs, preferably free-range, organic
- 3cups all-purpose flour
- 1tablespoon kosher salt
- 2teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
- 1½teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½teaspoons onion powder
- 1teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3cups peanut oil
- 1cup lard, optional, or replace with peanut oil
- Hot sauce
For the Brine
For the Seasoned Flour
For the Frying
For Serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
1855 calories; 147 grams fat; 30 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 65 grams monounsaturated fat; 41 grams polyunsaturated fat; 73 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 20 grams sugars; 61 grams protein; 1640 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Make the brine: Combine cola, salt, thyme, garlic and hot sauce in a large metal bowl and stir until the salt has dissolved. Add the chicken thighs, cover and refrigerate 3 to 5 hours.
Step
2
Make the seasoned flour: In a wide, shallow bowl or pan, combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne.
Step
3
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put the peanut oil in a large heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until it reaches 375 degrees on a candy thermometer. While the oil heats, remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Dredge the thighs in the flour and shake to remove excess.
Step
4
Working in batches of 2 or 3 at a time, carefully lower thighs into the hot oil. The oil temperature will plummet when the cold chicken goes into the pan; turn up the heat and carefully monitor the temperature. Cook for a little more than 3 minutes on one side, a little more than 3 minutes on the other, and then a final 3 minutes on the first side. Remove to a wire rack or paper towel to drain.
Step
5
The juices should run clear when the chicken is poked with a knife. If necessary, transfer the browned chicken to a baking sheet and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on a instant-read thermometer. Serve hot or at room temperature with hot sauce.
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510
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Susin
Can we use this recipe with chicken breasts? How long would we marinate them for?
Glen
I dated a food writer. She said the proper method is to hand a recipe to two people without additional comment. They should be able to recreate the recipe perfectly.
"Is that what you do?"
"Naw... we don't have time. So if I cook a cake for 30 minutes and it burns, I'll just knock five minutes off the printed time. No one really cooks those recipes; they just like to read them."
"What? I follow the recipe like the Bible! When it states 30 minutes..."
GG
Why are you heating the oven to 350 degrees?
John Golden
John Currence's book is wonderful. However, many of the recipes don't work as written. In one he calls for grits and recommends using Anson Mills. However, he never specified whether they should be quick cooking or traditional. Following the recipe for it to go with braised pork cheeks would have been a disaster as written, Fortunately I knew to soak the grits overnight and they came out fine. Are there no more editors at publishing houses who edit cookbooks?
Randy
Co' Cola? Mah stars 'n garters! It should be Royal Crown! Goodness!
Karen Diaz
I followed the instructions for cooking but found that the chicken required more time in the oven to reach 165 degrees internal temperature. Recipe calls for achieving an internal temp of 185, but every reference I consulted stated that poultry is cooked at 165 degrees.
My chicken came out much darker than the photo of the recipe and I was concerned that it would be burnt but the chicken was perfectly moist and the skin was not burnt.
The process is time-consuming but well worth the effort.
Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor
We've reviewed this, and you're right! We've updated the recipe accordingly. 165 is what one should aim for. Thanks!
Randy
MsBlucher (cue the hysterical horse noises), I am so going to try this with a good ginger beer...maybe add some fresh orange zest for a bit more oomph...
Clee525
This is our favorite fried chicken recipe. The co*ke confers a delightful, subtly sweet flavor to the chicken, but note -- your chicken will look darker than normal fried chicken, but don't fret, it isn't burnt. I have always had to finish off the pieces in the oven to get them fully cooked. And, my cast iron skillet works better than my Le Cruset pot because the oil heats up faster and maintains a more constant temperature. worth making!
MSN
I used the brine to marinate chicken thighs, then grilled them for the 4th of July. The taste is subtle and slightly sweet, they were very popular.
GB
Recipe okay, but not worth the effort. Many more fried chicken recipes out there and not so time consuming.
m
"until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees"
Hmmm, shouldn't that be 160-165 degrees?? Wouldn't 180 end up being tough and dry?
Willads Storm-Ritter
I replaced peanut/neutral canola oil. The chicken was fully submerged in oil, so I had no need to flip it. The co*ke taste was surprisingly subtle. I wondered about the brine, so I looked in Harold McGee 2004 "On food and cooking the science..."p.187:Potential carcinogens....(p.124) so the rule for cooking...consider applying a marinade, whose moisture, acidity, and other chemical qualities reduce carcinogen production. p.155: Brining...a traditional method in Scandinavia and elsewhere.
Andi
One of my favorite fried chicken recipes. Note to the impatient: it takes a long time for the oil to heat to 375.
Nancy
A terrific dish! I had to be careful, though, about pulling the chicken out before it was fully cooked. For me, it needed a minute or two more than the recipe suggests.
Gabe L.
Family will never go back to chick-fil-a. Have now made this 5 times. Important to make sure your oil gets up to heat which does take a while. I now fry outside using my propane powered paella burner. My substitutions were garlic powder and dry thyme from my spice rack for the marinade as I am usually pressed for time. TASTES JUST AS GOOD as fresh garlic and thyme. Dress the sandwiches up just like the fast food outlet. Other than the oil disposal afterwards this is REALLY easy.
Diana
I am glad I read all comments before starting my mise. Some commenters asked why use the oven, but no one responded. The reason is in case the chicken is not quite done (at 165F on an instant read thermometer) when chicken is removed to a wire rack to cool, in which case it should be put in a baking sheet in the oven. I have 2 oven thermometers, my oven is old & one side is slightly warmer. I would check chicken again after 5 to 10 mins in oven. I will cook next week and report back.
Mandy
For the written amount of chicken, 2 cups of flour was more than enough, plus it helps get more concentrated spices. We did a test as written for the breading process, and found we got very little coverage. I suggest a traditional breading assembly line- light dredge in flour, coat in beaten egg, and a second good dredge in the flour, shake off excess. For thin chicken thighs, 3 minutes per side was perfect. This was incredibly delicious- we're talking giggling with happiness while eating.
Terry
Vacuum pack the chicken with its brine, and immediately cook it sous-vide at 151F° (66 C°) for 2 hours. The chicken then needs to be patted very dry. I use J. Currence's version of Willie Mae's batter (Recipe avail. on Esquire), because it makes no sense to me to do this otherwise. The chicken is already cooked, so it only needs to fry in peanut oil/lard for 2 minutes to get a solid and crunchy crust. One cannot taste the difference between Royal Crown and Coca Cola brine, but the soul knows.
Roger
Im a chemist, and cooked this to the letter, it was disgusting
Larry Rymal
Works very well with an air fryer. Flip at about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the color and if it looks similar to the photo for this recipe, you are probably done. Confirm with a meat thermometer @ 165 degree or so -- clear juices when pressing down. Let rest for about five minutes. Obscenely good.
Lydia Sugarman
Southern home cooks swear by a brown paper bag, shake real good to coat, a cast iron skillet with about a half-inch or more of lard and bacon grease to fry. (I use olive oil & bacon grease.) Most home cooks have no problem crowding the pieces in the skillet. Fry uncovered until medium golden brown, then turn to fry the other side. Let begin to brown, then lower the heat slightly and loosely cover to finish cooking. If cooked properly, there should be no need to finish it in the oven.
Caine
I'm drooling
MelissaJane
GG: You are heating up the oven because in step 5, you may need to bake the chicken: "The juices should run clear when the chicken is poked with a knife. If necessary, transfer the browned chicken to a baking sheet and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on a instant-read thermometer. "
Bob Morgen
Heresy but we are a low carb household, maybe we try this with Diet co*ke? However part of me says, don't bother since very little sugar will remain in the meat. I may do some science on this with blood glucose tests....
Jackie
This has become the favorite fried chicken recipe for my family and me!
Francesca
If you want to cut back on salt don't forget -- an average can of co*ke contains almost 20 mg of salt.
Tiffany
After frying to brown the skin & outside, I placed the chicken on a V-rack & backed about 35 minutes (at 350) to get the thighs cooked through.I also found that there was too much flour mixture and will reduce that by 1/3 next time.
kate
I did this with breasts, wings, and drumsticks as well as thighs. they ended up darker than the photo, but were moist and delicious all the same.
betteirene
This recipe is going to be in out regular monthly rotation, I'm sure. My daughter-in-law made this tonight. I'm chowing down on it as I write this. She used 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts. After a three-hour soak, she split them in half crosswise and pounded them to a thickness of 1/2".
For frying, she used vegetable )soybean) oil and about a half cup of bacon drippings.
Yum.
Cookin Californian
I used ground corn flakes instead of flour. Nice and crunchy!
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