Thanks to the opening of Viet Pham’s Pretty Bird restaurant in downtown SLC, you can now get authentic Nashville-style hot chicken here in Utah. But, it’s also pretty easy to make at home. Here is a recipe I really like which is based on the chicken at one of Nashville’s most popular hot chicken joints: Hattie B’s.
This recipe makes really spicy chicken, but it’s still only what is considered medium-hot at Hattie B’s. If you want to kick it up a notch to “Shut The Cluck Up!” – which is Hattie B’s hottest level – just increase the amount of cayenne pepper. For milder chicken, decrease the amount of cayenne.
Ingredients:
- 1 chicken, cut into pieces
- 1 Tbs. kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbs. Louisiana-style hot sauce
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten free flour works really well, too)
- 2 tsp. Sea salt
- Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
- ½ cup melted lard or hot oil from the fryer
- 3 Tbs. cayenne pepper (more to make it spicier; less for milder)
- 1 Tbs. packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. paprika
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- Pickle slices, for serving
Method:
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken pieces with 1 tbs. kosher salt and 1 ½ tsp. black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
- To make the dip & dredge, in a bowl whisk together the milk, eggs and hot sauce. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and 2 tsp. sea salt.
- Dredge the chicken first in the flour mixture, then in the milk mixture, then back into the flour. Shake off any excess after each step. You can coat the chicken ahead of time and set it aside in the fridge until you’re ready to fry.
- In a deep-fryer, heat the vegetable or peanut oil to 325 degrees. F.
- Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the fryer, carefully lower chicken pieces into the hot oil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken pieces read 160 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer. Breast pieces will typically cook quicker than legs and thighs. Remove the cooked chicken from the fryer and let it drain on a wire rack or upon paper shopping bags.
- You could eat the chicken now, but it’s the spicy coating that makes it Nashville hot chicken. So, now make the spicy coating:
- In a heatproof bowl, place the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, ¾ tsp sea salt, 1 tsp black pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Carefully ladle the ½ cup of melted lard or frying oil into the bowl and gently whisk the spices into the oil or lard.
- Brush the spicy oil mixture over the chicken pieces and serve garnished with pickle slices.
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THIS CONTENT IS FROM UTAH BITES NEWSLETTER.
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Originally trained as an anthropologist, Ted Scheffler is a seasoned food, wine & travel writer based in Utah. He loves cooking, skiing, and spends an inordinate amount of time tending to his ever-growing herd of guitars and amplifiers.
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