Ingredients
RANCH SOAK
1 quart buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons hot sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
CHICKEN
12 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken (quartered breasts, thighs, and/or drumsticks)
4 cups self-rising flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Italian ground red pepper or 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Directions
Make the ranch soak: In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, lemon juice, hot sauce, parsley, chives, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare the chicken: Add the chicken to the ranch soak and toss to coat well. Cover and marinate for several hours or overnight in the fridge.
In a large plastic food storage bag or paper sack, shake together the flour, all the spices, the salt, and black pepper.
Fill a countertop fryer with oil or pour a few inches of oil into a large Dutch oven. Heat the oil to 365°F. (The oil is ready when a 1-inch cube of white bread cooks to golden brown in 40 seconds.) Working in batches, take the chicken pieces out of the ranch soak and coat them liberally in the seasoned flour mixture by shaking them in the bag. Add the chicken to the hot oil: Quartered breasts, pieces of thigh, and drumsticks all take about 12 minutes to cook through and get deeply golden.
