3lbschicken pieces thighs and legsbone in and skin on
1 ½teaspoonssalt
½cup100% hydration sourdough starter discard
1egg
¼cupbeerpale ale or pilsner
¼cupmilk
1 ½cupsflour
2tablespoonsbrown sugar
1teaspoonchili powder
1teaspoondried thyme
½teaspoongarlic powder
½teaspooncayenne pepper
½teaspoonsmoked paprika
½teaspoonblack pepper
Oil for frying canola4-6" deep in your skillet
Instructions
Prepare the batter
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. This will help the flour to adhere to the chicken better and result in a crispier coating that stays on.
Add the chicken to a wire rack over a baking sheet.
Sprinkle on all sides with 1 teaspoon salt.
In a bowl stir together the sourdough starter, egg, beer, and milk.
In another bowl stir together the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, flour, brown sugar, chili powder, dried thyme, cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper.
Dredge the chicken
One at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour until well coated.
Then dip into the sourdough mixture until all the flour is covered.
Dip back into the flour mixture until all the sourdough mixture is covered.
Return the chicken to the wire rack on the baking sheet.
Repeat for all chicken.
Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes until the oil heats (this will help the coating to adhere to the chicken and become crisper, without it your chicken may be soggy and the coating will easily separate from the chicken).
Frying the chicken
Heat 4-6 inches of oil in a deep fryer or a pot with a deep-fry thermometer until it hits 335 - 350°F, adjust heat to maintain this temperature.
Set out a clean wire rack over a different baking sheet (this will keep the underside of the chicken from getting soggy the way it does on paper towels. Don’t return it to the first rack, it will risk contamination from the raw chicken bacteria).
Cook chicken in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes per side (make sure to only fry a few at a time to avoid overcrowding the pot). Internal tempertuare of the chicken should be 165 F.
Place cooked chicken on the clean cooling rack and repeat with remaining pieces of chicken.
Serve warm.
Note: To keep the cooked chicken warm while cooking the remaining chicken, you can add the clean wire rack and baking sheet to an oven set to “keep warm” or 175°F, once the chicken is cooked, add it to the baking sheet in the oven to keep it warm while you cook the rest of the chicken.
Notes
Storing Leftovers - Store leftover fried chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.Reheating Leftovers - You can reheat leftovers in a preheated 350 F oven for 15-20 minutes.