Nashville Hot Chicken

Hot chicken or Nashville hot chicken is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee, in the United States.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 Tbsp Kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp MSG
• Vegetable oil, for frying

For the dredge

• 3 cups flour
• 3 tsp Kosher salt

For the buttermilk dip

• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp hot sauce (such as Louisiana)
• 2 Tbsp pickle juice
• Splash of cold smoked matsutake shoyu (optional)

For the hot oil

• 1 cup hot oil (from frying)
• 4 Tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar

For serving

• White bread
• Pickle spears

Directions

1. Cut the whole chicken into 8 pieces, and place in a sheet pan. Coat each piece with the salt, pepper, and MSG, and let it sit in the fridge overnight to cure, up to 24 hours.
2. Fill a dutch oven with vegetable oil, enough to submerge chicken, and heat up to 325 degrees F.
3. While the oil is heating, make the buttermilk dip by mixing in the eggs, buttermilk, hot sauce, and pickle juice. Optionally, add a splash of the matsutake shoyu. Whisk thoroughly.
4. Make the dredge by mixing the flour and Kosher salt together.
5. Mix the spices for the oil and set aside for now.
6. Bread each piece of chicken by coating in the flour mixture, then placing in the dip, and then back in the flour mixture once more.
7. Once the oil is at 325 degrees F, fry a few pieces at a time for 15-18 minutes, until the chicken comes to temperature at 165 degrees F. Place each piece on a wire rack until done. Whisk 1 cup of the hot oil with the spices and immediately toss each piece of chicken in the oil to coat.
8. Serve each piece of chicken over soft white bread with pickles.