Buttermilk Brined Chicken Wings Recipes

BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN WINGS

Steps:

• Combine onion, garlic, hot sauce, salt, and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a large bowl. Add the cold buttermilk and stir to dissolve. Snip the wing tips with kitchen shears if desired. Add the chicken wings and be sure they are all coated well in buttermilk. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 hours.
• Prepare the seasoned flour by whisking together flour, kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon zest, black pepper, oregano, cayenne, baking powder, sage, and dry mustard. Drain off excess buttermilk and dredge the wings in the flour. Place each batch of dredged wings on a wire rack as you go.
• Let wings sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat peanut oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Carefully drop the chicken wings into the hot oil, 4 or 5 at a time. Fry until golden, crisp, and no longer pink in the centers, about 5 minutes. Drain excess oil from wings on paper towels and lightly season with a pinch of salt while still hot. Continue with remaining wings.

BUTTERMILK-BRINED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• The day before you want to cook the chicken, remove the wingtips by cutting through the first wing joint with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Reserve for stock. Season chicken generously with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Stir 2 tablespoons kosher salt or 4 teaspoons fine sea salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. (If the chicken won't fit in a gallon-size bag, double up 2 plastic produce bags to prevent leaks and tie the bag with twine.)
• Seal the bag, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. If you're so inclined, you can turn the bag periodically so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but that's not essential.
• Pull the chicken from the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees with a rack set in the center position.
• Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Tightly tie together the legs with a piece of butcher's twine. Place the chicken in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a shallow roasting pan.
• Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven on the center rack. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven. (The back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done.) Pretty quickly you should hear the chicken sizzling.
• After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for 10 minutes.
• Move the pan so the legs are facing the rear right corner of the oven. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh. If the skin is getting too brown before it is cooked through, use a foil tent. Remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

BUTTERMILK BRINED CHICKEN WINGS

Steps:

• Add salt, brown sugar hot sauce and 1/3 of rub and warm water in a 2 gallon ziploc.
• Pour in the buttermilk and add the wings. Marinate 4-14 hour.
• Prepare the grill, drain wings, dust with remaining rub.
• Cook 15 min, turn wings cook until done on indirect heat - 30 min total cook time.