Chef’s Summer Recipes: Patricia Williams’ Fried Chicken

When we asked Chef Patricia Williams of Smoke Jazz and Supper Club to share a recipe that exemplified summer, she told us “Summer food is very special since everything about summer is more relaxed and can be enjoyed outside. Fried chicken is great picnic fare, whether it’s served room temperature or hot. Pair it with corn and tomatoes.” We could not agree more. There’s something truly magical about fried chicken in the summer. Below is Chef Patricia William’s Fried Chicken Recipe:

Serves 4

Ingredients for the brine

1 gallon warm water

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 sliced orange

2 sliced lemons

2 sliced limes

6 cloves garlic smashed

4 bay leaves

2 tbs red pepper flakes

Procedure

Chill down completely.

Place 8 legs and 8 thighs overnight in the brine.

Take out of the brine and dry completely.

Place in 1 quart buttermilk.

Ingredient For the flour for fried chicken:

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 tbs salt

1tsp cayenne

Procedure

Whisk the ingredients together and roll the chicken pieces together.

It is best to use a cast iron skillet with a deep fry thermometer set at 325.

Use 1/2 cup canola oil to shallow fry.

Cook 8 minutes on each side.

Set oven to 300 and keep warm while frying in 2 batches.

Chef Patricia Williams’ love of food started as a little girl. She would watch her dad smoking his own meat and making homemade sausages. She was a professional ballerina until she broke her wrist and fractured her foot. Her life changed after a trip to Aix-en-Provence, where she was brought back to her childhood love of food. Williams then worked at Restaurant Charlotte. Before being approached Paul Stache and Frank Christopher, co-owners of the celebrated Smoke Jazz & Supper Club.

To taste Chef William’s dishes, head to Smoke Jazz & Supper Club which is located at 2751 Broadway in the Upper West Side of New York City. For reservations, call (212) 864-6662.