I love Thomas Keller.  He’s one sexy beast in the kitchen.  I also love his fried chicken at Ad Hoc…  Yummy.  I ordered his book but couldn’t wait so I used this recipe for his fried chicken.  I adapted it to 15 pounds of hind quarters and since my fryer was burning the breading, I decided to fry and bake the chicken.

Ad Hoc’s Buttermilk Fried ChickenTool:

Ingredients:
15 lbs Chicken Hind Quarters

Brine:
1 gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
12 bay leaves
1/2 cup garlic cloves, skin left on, smashed
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
About 1/2 ounce (3 large) rosemary sprigs
About 1/2 ounce (1 large bunch) thyme sprigs
About 2 ounces (1 large bunch) flat leafed parsley sprigs
Grated zest and juice of 2 large lemons

Coating:
6 cups all purpose flour
4 tablespoons garlic powder
4 tablespoons onion powder
4 teaspoons paprika
4 teaspoons cayenne
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 quart buttermilk
Kosher salt

Rosemary and thyme sprigs for garnishing

1.  Add all the ingredients to the brine and bring to boil to dissolve salt.  Ice bath and bring to room temperature.

2.  Breakdown thigh from drumstick.

3.  Place into brine overnight.

4.  Mix all of the dredging ingredients.

5.  Ice bath for buttermilk.

6.  Dredge chicken into flour and then into buttermilk and back to flour.  Preheat oven to 425F

7.  Bring fryer to 330F and start by frying the thigh.  It should take between 8 minutes.  After you have completed all the thigh, move to drumstick and they should fry for about the same.

8.  Place fried chicken on parchment paper and place into oven.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until thermometer read 165F.

9.  Garnish with lemon slice, and sprigs of rosemary and thyme.