Sweet Tea–Brined Fried Chicken Thighs

Name: Sweet Tea–Brined Fried Chicken Thighs
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 6 family-size or 24 single-cup, black tea bags; ½ cup, sugar for brining; ¼ cup, table salt for brining; 1 tablespoon, grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons juice, plus lemon wedges for serving; 8 (5- to 7-ounce), bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed; 1½ cups, all-purpose flour; 1¼ cups, cornstarch; 1 tablespoon, paprika; 1 tablespoon, granulated garlic; 1 tablespoon, pepper; 2 teaspoons, table salt; 2 teaspoons, baking powder; ¾ teaspoon, cayenne pepper; 1 cup, buttermilk; 3 quarts peanut or, vegetable oil for frying

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Appears in Cook's Country August/September 2023

Main Courses

Chicken

We interview the creator of the dish to find out why you should be frying this chicken at home.

SERVES4

TIME1½ hours, plus 12½ hours brining and chilling

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

This recipe for juicy, sweet-salty Southern fried chicken with a hit of black tea and lemon is inspired by the dish created by Chef John Fleer, published in The Blackberry Farm Cookbook: Four Seasons of Great Food and the Good Life (2009). ...

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