Guest Recipe: Smoky Mountain Hot Chicken

Guest Recipe: Courtesy of Jeremy Sym, Owner and Executive Chef of Savory Solutions Personal Chefs and Catering.

INGREDIENTS:

2- 3 ½ to 4 lbs cut chickens with breasts cut into halves

1 tbsp fresh ground pepper

2 tbsp kosher salt (I use smoked salt)

4 large eggs

2 c buttermilk

1 tbsp liquid smoke

2 tbsp Texas Pete hot sauce

3 c All purpose flour

1 c Fish Fry

6 c Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil (I use Peanut for a crispier fry)

4 tbsp Cayenne Pepper

2 tbsp Chipotle Pepper

2 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar

1 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 ½ tsp Smoked Paprika

“Smoky Mountain Hot Chicken”

PREPARATION:

Toss chicken with black pepper and 2 Tbsp. salt in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Whisk eggs, buttermilk, liquid smoke and hot sauce in a large bowl. Whisk flour and season with a little more salt & pepper in another large bowl.

Remove chicken from the fridge and pour about 1/3 buttermilk mixture over chicken to coat and chill again for 1 hour.

In another bowl, whisk together flour and fish fry and set aside

Fit a Dutch oven or large Cast Iron skillet with thermometer; pour in oil to measure 2”. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 325°. Shake off excess liquid. 1 piece at a time, dredge in flour mixture (use tongs to keep from breading your hands instead of the chicken.lol), shaking off excess flour, then dip in buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip back into bowl. Dredge again in flour mixture and place on a baking sheet.

Working in batches and returning oil to 325° between batches. Fry chicken, turning occasionally until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of pieces registers 160° for white meat and 165° for dark, 15–18 minutes. Transfer to a clean wire rack set inside a baking sheet. Let oil cool slightly.

Blend cayenne, chipotle, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a medium bowl; carefully whisk in 1 cup frying oil. Brush fried chicken with spicy oil. Serve with Carolina style slaw and Jalapeño-Kettle Corn Bread (recipe coming next week). This dish is inspired by Nashville’s Hot Chicken but with a “Smoky” Mountain twist.

Recipe by: Chef Jeremy Sym- Owner and Executive Chef

Savory Solutions Personal Chef’s & Catering- Morristown, TN

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