Buffalo and Whole Chicken for Super Bowl Sunday
I didn’t grow up watching the Super Bowl. The closest thing to a professional football team in my home state of Mississippi is the Saints, but my father and grandfather were too busy swearing in front of the TV while watching Mississippi’s defeat to pay attention to any of it. Plus, the Super Bowl always falls on Sunday—Lord’s Day—and it’s hard to watch a game while in church.
Church Sunday and Super Bowl Sunday diverge on at least three levels: spiritual, aesthetic, and culinary. Yelling obscenities on TV while watching men inflict possible brain damage on each other doesn’t seem very Christian, and greasy wings, nachos, and chili dogs don’t quite match the wholesome, nourishing feeling after a church dinner.
That’s what makes all this Buffalo fried chicken a real fusion cuisine – it’s a fusion of vibes. Church-style fried chicken is paired with wicked buffalo wings in this recipe, and the results are delicious.
It all starts with brine. The combination of buttermilk and Frank’s hot sauce tenderizes the chicken while keeping it moist. My love for milk brines is well known , but if this is your first time working with them, you should be delighted.
There are many benefits to using fermented milk products such as buttermilk or labneh to marinate poultry. The acid in buttermilk or yogurt tenderizes the meat, while the proteins contribute to the darkening of the skin. Pickled birds are also the most unpretentious birds I have ever roasted – I have cooked some of them at over 160℉ (both random and see what happens) and the breast meat came out juicy and tender every time. time, thanks to the abundance of moisture, acid and fat.
The inclusion of Frank’s hot sauce (obviously) gives this bird a Super Bowl sheen. The tangy, spicy sauce gives the meat a light flavor, eliminating the need for additional seasonings. The most obvious benefit is the whole chicken flavored buffalo skin, which I recommend you eat as quickly as possible.
When it comes to side dishes, you have several options. I love good Hidden Valley Ranch chips , although I recommend doubling or even tripling the amount of ranch seasoning in the recipe. Carrots are another obvious choice, either a simple shredded carrot salad or roasted carrots like the ones you see above. Either way, drizzle carrots with this buffalo sauce and add some blue cheese crumble.
Super Bowl Sunday Fried Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken (5-7 pounds)
- 1 liter buttermilk
- 1 liter Frank’s hot sauce
- Buffalo sauce of your choice (I like this brown butter option )
Take the chicken out of the package and remove any “excess” such as necks and/or internal organs. Dry the chicken and place it in a large freezer bag. Whisk the hot sauce and buttermilk together in a separate bowl until smooth.
Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure it fills the cavity. Seal the bag and place in a large bowl, then place it all in the refrigerator to marinate overnight, ideally 24 hours.
When the chicken is marinated, remove it from the bag and place it on a wire rack over a bowl or tray to drain off excess marinade. Remember to leave it hollow side down for a few minutes so you don’t end up with a puddle of curdled buttermilk inside the bird. Preheat oven to 400℉ and pat excess marinade off chicken with paper towels.
Roast the chicken on a rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet, turning the baking sheet 180 degrees every 15 minutes or so, until the thickest part of the breast reads 160℉ on an instant read thermometer. Brush with the prepared Buffalo sauce and fry for 45 seconds to a minute, until the skins are bubbling and browned. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.