When dividing up a chicken, my druthers always go to the dark meat. So this week’s recipe from Chef Katy has a special place in my hierarchy of reliably great meals. Fried chicken drumsticks are a delight.
By long tradition, tangy buttermilk has been the critical ingredient for tenderness in fried chicken. But buttermilk also adds to the flavor profile. The other important point is to use a high quality rendered fat (such as our grass fed beef tallow or pasture raised pork lard) which not only makes a wonderfully crispy crust.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Drumsticks with Lemon and Thyme
Ingredients
Drumstick Marinade
- 8 pasture raised chicken drumsticks
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest (plus a little extra for garnishing)
- 1 Tbsp minced thyme (plus a little extra for garnishing)
- 1 tsp sea salt or flake salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Dredging Flour
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole grain flour
- 2 Tbsp sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 quart rendered fat for frying
Instructions
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a deep bowl that can submerge the chicken drumsticks. Marinate for 3-4 hours in the fridge, turning once or twice to ensure the chicken marinates evenly.
- When ready to fry the chicken, bring the drumsticks out to warm up a little- about 30 minutes before cooking. Choose a thick-bottomed skillet or dutch oven for frying. Heat the rendered fat to 350 degrees using a thermometer to maintain the temperature.
- Dip each drumstick in the seasoned flour and coat fully. Once all drumsticks are dredged, gently lower into the hot fat and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees.
- Drain the drumsticks on paper towels and season with thyme, lemon zest and salt and enjoy!