“Vic,

W and I made the below on Tuesday. It was most excellent.

-Marlow”

(Part of the crowd at Willow, for Buffalo Night. Photo Socotra).

We are going to up the ante this morning and provide a cooking challenge with several moving part. I am going to do that partly because I don’t have time to solve the problems in the Middle East, and have to get down to the farm and see what the critters have got up to. I had a choice- I could have embarked on an account of Buffalo Night at Willow, but really, we have been down that road before. There was an all-star line-up at the bar, much joviality and laughter, and that is going to be one of the things I am going to miss the most about living in this strange triangular County lodged in the shadow of the Imperial City.

One of the other things that are on my DC bucket list is a trip to the wildly popular restaurant on Barrack’s Row, Rose’s Luxury. I am going to visit if my Baja California pal ever gets here. Bon Appetite magazine dubbed Rose’s the “best new restaurant in America,” and our correspondent and test-kitchen chef Marlow attempted to recreate one of the signature dishes:

Brined, boneless fried chicken thighs that produce incredible dark-meat flavor, and the dredge technique that creates an insanely crunchy coating.

You can find it in the Bon Appetite issue published in September, 2014.

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS
Brine
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
1 ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
1 cup apple cider vinegar
⅔ cup kosher salt
⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup chopped fresh dill

Chicken
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 3 lb.), halved, quartered if large
Vegetable oil (for frying; about 10 cups)
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Honey, flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), toasted benne or sesame seeds, hot sauce (for serving)

Special equipment:
A deep-fry thermometer

Nutritional Information
Calories (kcal) 910 Fat (g) 41 Saturated Fat (g) 9 Cholesterol (mg) 335 Carbohydrates (g) 56 Dietary Fiber (g) 2 Total Sugars (g) 8 Protein (g) 76 Sodium (mg) 1690

PREPARATION
Brine
Toast mustard and coriander seeds in a dry medium saucepan over medium heat, tossing often, until mustard seeds begin to pop, about 3 minutes. Add vinegar, salt, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until salt and sugar are dissolved, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in dill and 4 cups water. Let cool.

Chicken
Place chicken and brine in a large re-sealable plastic bag; chill 3 hours. Remove chicken from brine, scraping off seeds, cover, and chill until ready to fry.

Fit a large pot with thermometer and pour in oil to measure 2”. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°.

Meanwhile, place buttermilk in a large bowl. Place flour in another large bowl; season with kosher salt.

Working in batches, coat chicken in buttermilk, then dredge in flour, dipping your fingers in buttermilk as you pack flour on to help create moistened, shaggy bits (the makings of a super-crisp crust); transfer to a baking sheet.

Working in batches and returning oil to 350° between batches, fry chicken, turning occasionally, until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and chicken is cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet.

Drizzle chicken with honey; sprinkle with sea salt and benne seeds. Serve with hot sauce alongside.

Bon appetite!

Copyright 2014 Bon Appetite Magazine and Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303