Honey-Pecan Fried Chicken
Sunnyside Cook
Southern chicken with a sweet surprise
Ingredients
- 2 3 lb. frying chickens --cut into serving pieces (or an array of bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces of your liking)
- Cajun seasoning mix (I used Paul Prudhomme’s Poultry Magic)
- Peanut oil or Canola oil for frying
For the marinade
- 4 C. low-fat buttermilk
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 ½ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp. Tabasco
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp. dried thyme leaves
For the dredging mix
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- peanut oil
For the honey-pecan sauce
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
Instructions
For the chicken
- At least 4 hours before cooking, season the chicken pieces with the seasoning mix, according to your taste. (I used 2 Tbsp. of Poultry Magic.) Toss the chicken with the seasoning so that all pieces are equally covered.
- Mix the marinade ingredients in a very large nonreactive bowl, stirring well to combine. Add the raw seasoned chicken. Cover and marinate for 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
- About 45 minutes before cooking, lift the chicken pieces out of the buttermilk marinade and place on a platter, allowing excess marinade to drip off. Combine flour and seasonings in large zipper plastic bag or large paper bag. Doing just a 3-4 pieces at a time, drop the chicken pieces into the bag, seal the bag, and shake to cover chicken pieces with flour mixture. Shake off excess flour. Place floured pieces on a rack and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before frying.
- Heat 1 ½ inches of peanut or Canola oil in deep large pot or electric fryer to 350 degrees. Place chicken pieces in frying oil, using tongs and being careful not to crowd the pot. Fry until golden brown and crisp, about 7 minutes per side. Drain the pieces on paper towels on a large cookie sheet. Place pan with cooked chicken in a 200 degree oven to hold until all chicken is fried.
For the sauce
- Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Add the honey, stirring well, and bring to a simmer. Add the chopped pecans and allow to simmer an additional 10 minutes.
To serve
- Pour a bit of the sauce over chicken pieces, or serve sauce and chicken separately.
Notes
The chicken can be fried and refrigerated up to 2 days before serving. Either serve cold, picnic style, or reheat in a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
Adapted from The Pirates' House in Savannah, GA (Bon Appétit Jan. 1986)