Sunny Andersons Fried Sweet Tea Chicken Recipes

SUNNY ANDERSON'S FRIED SWEET TEA CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the brine
• In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups water, the tea and salt until the salt dissolves
• Squeeze the lemon halves into the pot then add them and the chicken pieces to the pot, submerge and soak for 2 hours at room temperature
• Make the syrup
• In a medium pan over medium heat, combine the tea, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice
• Simmer until reduced and thickened like syrup
• Taste and add a pinch of salt
• Stir in the thyme
• Prepare to fry
• In a large pot, heat 6 inches of oil until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 325° F
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cayenne, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper
• Drain the chicken from the brine and pat dry
• Dust the chicken in the flour and shake off excess
• Dip each piece in the egg, then back in the flour to coat
• Set on a wire rack to let the coating sink in for 15 minutes
• Fry the chicken
• In batches, fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the piece
• Remove from the oil and set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain
• Drizzle with the sweet tea syrup

SWEET-TEA FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine tea, lemon, sugar and kosher salt, and simmer for 5 minutes or salt and sugar are complete dissolved. Pour in ice water and cool brine completely. Submerge thighs and drumsticks in brine for 48 hours.
• Remove to a wire rack and allow chicken to drain. Combine 2 cups of the flour and the corn flour, crab boil, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Place remaining 1 cup flour in a medium bowl, and in a third bowl beat eggs with buttermilk. Line up bowls of flour, egg-buttermilk mixture and then the flour-corn flour mixture, in that order. Coat the chicken in the flour, then the egg-buttermilk mixture, and then the flour-corn flour mixture, applying pressure to ensure even adherence. Let the chicken sit in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour before frying.
• Pour oil in a heavy pot at a depth of at least 3 inches. Heat oil to 300 degrees F. Fry chicken, submerged in oil, for 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170 degrees F for dark meat, 160 degrees F for white meat. Drain on a rack. Cool to room temperature, and then place in refrigerator for at least 4 and no more than 24 hours. Serve cool from a picnic basket or cold, straight from the refrigerator.