HONEY-FRIED CHICKEN WITH THYME AND MINT SAUCE
SOURCE: CRAIG CLAIBORNE. CRAIG CLAIBORNE’S SOUTHERN COOKING.
The credits for this eclectic and adventurous take on a Southern favorite go to Stephan Pyles, a native Texan chef and philanthropist, who retired from the restaurant business in January of this year. A founding father of American Southwestern cuisine, the sophisticated Pyles introduced his bestseller in his debut Dallas venture, Routh Street Cafe. Infusing the chicken in a marinade of honey and vinegar gives the flesh a lingering sweet and floral aftertaste that coordinates with the cool and herbaceous aroma of the creamy sauce. The success of this recipe, however, depends on frying skills because the honey can quickly caramelize and burn the chicken skin to an inedible and bitter char before individual pieces can thoroughly cook. Frying thus requires turning the individual pieces continuously and regulating the oil temperature constantly as a simultaneous but rewarding step in keeping the white and whole-wheat flour-coated skin brown and crispy.
Ingredients
1/2 cup/125 mL honey, preferably wild honey OR monofloral honey, such as orange, chestnut, clover
2 1/2 tablespoons/38 mL vinegar, preferably fruit-flavored vinegar such as raspberry, apple, or balsamic
4 pounds/1.8 kilograms serving pieces of chicken, preferably legs and thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 -1 cup/120-250 mL cooking oil, preferably corn, peanut OR vegetable oil
OPTIONAL: 3.5 ounces/100 grams lard
1/2 cup/60 grams all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons/8 grams whole wheat flour
1/2 cup/125 mL dry white wine
1/2 cup/125 mL rich chicken broth
1 1/2 cup/375 mL heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons/2 grams thyme leaves, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results
1 teaspoon/2 grams grated lemon rind
1 1/2 tablespoons/3 grams peppermint leaves, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results
Specific Equipment
Nonreactive bowl, preferably square- OR rectangular-shaped
Strainer or colander
Paper towels
Frying pan with a diameter of 12 inches or 30 cm
Deep-fry thermometer
Tongs to turn the chicken pieces during frying
Serves 4
Instructions
1. Blend the honey and vinegar in a nonreactive bowl. Coat the chicken pieces evenly with the honey-vinegar marinade. Let the chicken stand in the marinade for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Reserve 2 tablespoons/30 mL of the marinade and set aside. Dry the chicken pieces on a strainer or colander lined with paper towels, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan to 350°F/170°C. Use 1/2 cup/120 mL cooking oil for frying, only if also using lard.
4. While the oil is heating, combine the all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour until well-blended. Coat the chicken pieces with the flour mixture, and dredge off excess flour.
5. Place the chicken pieces, skin-side down into the hot oil, and reduce the heat immediately to moderate as the oil temperature falls to 300°F/150°C. Turn the chicken pieces often to prevent the honey from charring. Fry the chicken for 20 minutes until they are brown all-over and their juices run yellow when pricked. Drain the chicken pieces on a strainer or colander lined with paper towels.
6. Pour off most of the fat and burnt bits from the pan, leaving the brown residues that cling on the surfaces of the frying pan. Deglaze the pan with wine and chicken broth, continuously stirring until the brown residues completely dissolve. Heat the frying pan and reduce the mixture by half.
7. Add the heavy cream, thyme, grated lemon rind, peppermint leaves, and the reserved marinade. Continue reducing the sauce to about 2 cups/480 mL. Correct the taste of the sauce by adjusting the salt and pepper, if desired.
8. Transfer the pieces of fried chicken to a warm serving platter, and spoon the sauce over.
