Nashville Hot Chicken

Ingredients

• 8 pcs chicken thighs
• 500 ml buttermilk
• 200 g all-purpose flour
• 45 g cayenne pepper
• 60 g lard
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 pcs eggs
• 1000 ml vegetable oil
• 8 slices white bread
• 8 slices dill pickles
• 2 tsp salt

Steps

1. Marinate the chicken thighs in buttermilk with 1 tbsp salt for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge.
2. This tenderizes the meat and helps the coating stick.
3. Set up the breading station: mix flour, paprika, garlic powder, and 1 tsp salt in a bowl.
4. Whisk the eggs into the buttermilk from the marinade.
5. Dredge each piece in flour, dip in buttermilk, then flour again for a thick, craggy coating.
6. Heat oil to 165°C in a deep heavy pot or Dutch oven.
7. Fry the chicken in batches for 12-15 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and internal temperature reaches 75°C.
8. Drain on a wire rack.
9. Make the hot paste: melt lard and whisk in cayenne, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the frying oil.
10. It should be a fiery slurry — paint it generously over each piece of hot chicken.
11. Serve each piece on a slice of white bread to catch the drippings, topped with dill pickles.
12. The bread soaks up the spicy oil — that is the point.