This classic comfort food was featured on our Quarantine Kitchen Live Episode 6 on May 2, 2020. We loved cooking along with everyone who joined us on Zoom. We appreciate everyone for the support! If you missed it here is the recipe with step-by-step instructions to recreate the dish. Don’t forget to pair it with our 2019 Rosé of Grenache

Ingredients List:

• 1.5 lbs of chicken thighs, boneless skin on (if you can’t find them, then get bone-in and remove the bone, or boneless skinless will work)
• 2 cups buttermilk (Clover Buttermilk)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 gallon canola oil, or rice bran if you can find it (or as much as you need to have at least 2 inch deep in your pot/pan/fryer)
• 1 7oz. container of Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon ground caraway
• 1 cup of rice vinegar
• 1½ tablespoons fish sauce (fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from salted and fermented fish popular in East Asian cuisine, most grocery stores will have it in the ethnic foods aisle)
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (sambal is an Indonesian hot chile paste, sriracha would work as a substitute)
• 1½ tablespoon ketchup
• 6 leaves basil
• 1lb of fingerling potatoes
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig fresh sage

Equipment List:

• Fryer (alternatively, large pot or cast iron skillet)
• 1 small mixing bowl
• Candy thermometer 
• 1 small mixing bowl
• 3 medium mixing bowl
• 1 sheet pan
• Meat tenderizer (can use an empty wine bottle or rolling pin)
• 1 medium pot
• 1 blender

Directions:

For the Fried Chicken:

• 1½ lbs chicken thighs, boneless skin on (if you can’t find them, then get bone-in and remove bone, or boneless skinless will work)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 gallon canola oil, or rice bran if you can find it (or as much as you need to have at least 2 inches deep in your pot/pan/fryer)
• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

Method:

If you bought bone-in chicken thighs, use a sharp knife to cut around the bone and remove from the thigh meat. Start by covering your work surface with plastic wrap. Working in batches, place 3-4 chicken thighs on the plastic wrap at a time. Cover them with another sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer mallet (or empty wine bottle), gently pound chicken thighs until they are uniformly the same thickness, about ½ inches. After they have been pounded, cut each thigh in half or thirds, depending on the size of the thigh. When all chicken is pounded, place inside a sealable container or ziplock bag and cover with the buttermilk. Move all pieces around to make sure the buttermilk is touching everything. Ideally, this step will be done the day before to allow the chicken plenty of time to marinate in the buttermilk. If you are using chicken breast, you don’t need to pound the meat just cut the breast in half lengthwise, so it is all the same thickness, about ½ inches.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, red pepper flakes, 2 ½ tablespoons of salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Place canola or rice bran oil in pot or skillet that you will be using to fry and place over medium-high heat. Using a high temp thermometer, bring oil to 350 degrees. Working one at a time, remove chicken from the buttermilk and dredge thoroughly in the flour mixture. Use tongs to remove and dip it in the flour. Turn it over and really push the flour mixture into the chicken, if it is not completely covered it will be difficult to get it crispy. From the flour mixture place the chicken in the hot oil, working in batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan! Chicken should be cooked through after 4-5 minutes and is golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on a rack on a sheet tray. Season with salt.

For the Vinegar Hot Sauce:

• 1 cup of rice vinegar
• 1½ tablespoon fish sauce (fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from salted and fermented fish popular in East Asian cuisine, most grocery stores will have it in the ethnic foods aisle)
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ jalapeno, cut in half, seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (sambal is an Indonesian hot chile paste, sriracha would work as a substitute)
• ½ tablespoon ketchup
• 6 leaves basil

Method:

Place all ingredients in a medium-size pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, turn heat to very low and let simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into a blender and blend on high until very smooth. Reserve for later.

For Roasted Fingerling Potatoes:

• 1 lb of fingerling potato
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig fresh sage
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• Kosher salt to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a sheet tray in the oven to get hot. Wash potatoes and cut in half. Remove rosemary from the hard woody stem. Pick sage leaves and roughly chop them. In a medium mixing bowl toss the cut potatoes, olive oil, herbs, salt and black pepper. Add potato mix onto the hot sheet pan, cut side down, and return to the oven. Cook until potatoes are golden brown on the outside and creamy on the inside, about 15-20 minutes.

For the Caraway Yogurt:

• 7 oz. Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon ground caraway
• Kosher salt to taste

Method:

In a small mixing bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly