Nashville-Style Hot Chicken

I've been totally obsessed with Nashville Hot Chicken since I ate some at a local restaurant here in NC last summer. I'd never heard of it and needed to know every thing about it.

We had tiny chicken wings tinged electric fire-hot orange, that burned the soul of my tongue with each and every bite. So juicy, so greasy, so crispy, so exhilarating. Everything you didn't know chicken could be. Slices of white bread with the crusts cut off and housemade cucumber pickles decorated the inside of the bowl.

The very next day, Twitter lead me to read about it on Bitter Southerner. I researched over 5 similar recipes and combined what I liked to make my own Nashville Hot Chicken. The secret is a mop (dip) of a melange of spices (lots of cayenne, a little sugar, paprika, garlic powder) that is whisked into hot lard (or oil) and the chicken is served with white bread and dill pickles.

I have friends who live in and have visited Music City, but NONE of them have ever had this famed yet flamed hot bird. The article explains why and hopefully that will change. Rumor has it that there's a hot fish, too. I want some. Come Friday night, I'm having it. We've been calling it "Hotville" at my house lol

Hot sauce and chicken wings as well as hot sauce and fried fish are common law marriage in a black household, I feel. It's never been a secret, but now the master key is in your hands.

I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because that's what was in the freezer. And now my mouth is on serious fire. I'm in love. Serious chicky-chicky burning love.

Nashville Hot Chicken 

Ingredients

For dry brining:

8 pieces chicken (I used boneless skinless chicken thighs)
2 Tablespoons Kosher salt
2 Tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

For egg washing :
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce

For dredging:
2 cups all-purpose flour

For frying:
Vegetable oil

For the spicy dipping:
1 cup hot frying oil
3 Tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon white sugar
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
freshly ground black pepper

Sliced white bread, for serving
Pickle slices, for garnish

Dry-brine the chicken: In a bowl, toss the chicken pieces with 2 Tablespoons kosher salt and 2 Tablespoons black pepper; cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.

Make the egg wash and the dredge and spicy dip:
In a bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and hot sauce. In a second bowl, add the all-purpose flour. In a third medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the cayenne pepper, sugar, paprika, onion powder and garlic salt

Dredge the chicken in the flour, then dip in the egg wash mixture, then in the flour mixture again, shaking off the excess after each step.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottom pot to 350°F. Set a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Working in batches, lower the chicken into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crisp, 13-16 minutes or until a thermometer in the chicken registers 165°F. Remove the chicken and let it drain on the rack.

Finish the spicy dip: Carefully ladle 1 cup of the frying oil into the cayenne pepper dip bowl and whisk the spices together. Baste the spice mixture over the hot fried chicken and serve immediately; Serve with white bread and garnish with pickles.