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BASIC INSTRUCTIONS
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FOR THE BRINE 6 cups Ice - 1/2 cup Sea Salt - 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar - 1/3 cup Coarse Ground Black Pepper - 4 tablespoons Onion Powder - 4 tablespoons Garlic Powder - 3 tablespoons Cayenne Pepper - 3 tablespoons Paprika - 1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning - 3 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into 10 pieces.
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Mix all in a large bowl.
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FOR THE HOT SPICE PASTE 1 1/2 cup Lard or Cisco [room temp] - 1/2 cup Bacon Grease [room temp but firm] - 3 tablespoons Cayenne Pepper - 1 tablespoons Coarse Black Pepper - 1 tablespoons Paprika - 3 tablespoons Granulated Garlic - 2 tablespoons Granulated Onion - 1 tablespoons Dried Minced Onion Mix all in a large bowl.
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FOR THE HOT SPICE FLOUR DREDGE 2 - 1/2 cups AP Flour - 3 tablespoons Granulated Garlic - 3 tablespoons Granulated Onion - 1 tablespoons Creole Seasoning - 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt - 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder - 2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper - 2 tablespoons Cayenne Pepper - 1 tablespoon Paprika Mix all in a large bowl.
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FOR THE HOT SPICE DUST 1 tablespoon Paprika - 1 tablespoon Cayenne - 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder - 1 tablespoon Onion Powder - 1/2 tablespoon Kosher Salt Mix all and place in shaker.
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Use a high heat, Safflower, Corn, Canola or Vegetable Oil for frying chicken.
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DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
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PREPARATION OF CHICKEN Prepare the Brine: In an extra large bowl, whisk salt, sugar and spices in 3 cups hot water until sea salt dissolves.
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After spices are dissolved, whisk in about 6 cups ice water.
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The brine should be iced cold [40 or slightly lower] before adding chicken.
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If not, chill brine in fridge until it is.
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Clean chicken pieces and dab dry.
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Add chicken pieces to the iced cold brine and chill for at least 8 or up to 12 hours.
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Turn chicken intermittently and mix up brine as you do.
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MINIMUM TIMED BRINES [the minium amount you can brine for any noticeable effectiveness] 1 hour: Wings 2 hours: Drum Sticks 3 hours: Thigh Pieces 5 hours: Large Chicken Breasts 8 hours: Extra Large Chicken Breasts However, you can leave all size chicken pieces in this brine for 8 the full hours needed for your extra large chicken breasts.
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If there isn't enough brine to fully cover the chicken in your bowl, add a solution
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In another larger bowl, prepare the flour dredge by combining all ingredients listed and whisk well.
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In a smaller bowl, combine the ingredients for the Hot Spice Paste.
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Have lard and bacon grease at room temperature or slightly heat them in microwave only enough to sufficiently mix your spices.
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Remove chicken pieces from brine, pat dry with paper towels and coat chicken generously with your Hot Spice Paste mixture.
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Place all coated chicken pieces in your Hot Spice Flour Dredge and press chicken down hard to seal the flour into your paste.
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Reserve what's left of your remaining Hot Spice Flour Dredge mixture.
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Pour 2+ inches room temperature, high heat frying oil into a large cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed pan with a cover or splatter guard.
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Heat oil to 325 on a deep-fat thermometer.
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Or you can test the heat of your oil by placing a dash of flour into the heated oil.
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If it sizzles and foams immediately, your oil is ready.
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Extra Hot Paste [optional] Drizzle chicken pieces with Ghost Pepper Sauce or sprinkle with Ghost Pepper Powdered Spice if you want extra spicy chicken pieces.
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Carefully place chicken in hot oil, about 2 to 3 smaller pieces per batch or 1 large piece and 1 small.
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If you overload your pan, you'll cool off your oil and force it to re-heat.
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This mistake will produce oily, under-cooked chicken.
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Watch your chicken closely and adjust heat to a lower setting if your chicken is browning too quickly.
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Flip your chicken pieces [only once] with tongs during the frying process to keep coating in place.
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Do not use any meat piercing tools like a fork or you'll loose your moisture.
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CHECK FOR DONESS Stick a knife in your chicken at the thickest part into the bone and wait a moment to see if any blood or pink fluid runs out.
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If it does, fry a bit longer as your chicken is not fully cooked.
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Using tongs, transfer cooked chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch any dripping oils.
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Or you can drain directly on paper towels.
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Dust chicken with Hot Spice Dust on both sides immediately as it comes out of the fryer.
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Place chicken in a 250 oven if not serving immediately.
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To serve Hot Chicken traditionally: Place a fried chicken piece on top of a slice of white bread.
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Using a toothpick, stick dill pickle chips into the top of chicken.
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Add real Ranch Dressing or Sour Cream with a packet of Ranch Dressing mixed in it to the side as a cooling agent.
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Another traditional method of serving Hot Chicken is to wet down your Hot Spice Dust with water and oil whereby making it an extra spicy, deep red, thin fluid.
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As chicken is pulled from the fryer, it is dipped in the spicy fluid just before serving.
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My version is a bit less messy.
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Serve with additional bottles of hot sauce [such as Tabasco] on the side.
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Enjoy!
