Fried Chicken Recipe From Michelle Bernstein

By Lyndsay Anderson Fri., Jul. 23 2010 at 7:00 AM

Categories: The Verbal Nosh

Michelle Bernstein

We are back with famed Miami chef Michelle Bernstein, and she has kindly shared her recipe for fried chicken that is featured at her restaurants, Michelle Bernstein at the Omphoy in Palm Beach and Michy's in Miami. If you can never have too much of a good thing, then make sure to check out Michy's for its Wednesday-night all-you-care-to-eat fried chicken feast.

If you missed our interview with Bernstein, click here to see day one and here for day two.

Michy's Fried Chicken
Serves 4

Ingredients:1 small chicken, approx. 2-3 lbs, broken down into 10 pieces, breast cut in half

1/2 gallon buttermilk

2 Tbsp thyme leaves

1 Tbsp tarragon leaves

6 cloves garlic

2 shallots

1 Tbsp fennel seed

1 Tbsp mustard seed

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

Add all ingredients -- except the chicken -- in a blender and purée until smooth. Place chicken in a Ziplock bag with marinade and refrigerate overnight.
Fill a medium-sized sauce pot with enough of your favorite oil for frying; bring the oil to 350 degrees.
There are two ways to prep the chicken for frying:
Standard Prep: Remove the chicken from the marinade and roll pieces in all-purpose flour and carefully place in oil
OR
Extra Crispy: Remove chicken from the marinade but reserve the liquid. Roll the chicken in all-purpose flour, return to the marinade and roll in the flour again. Place chicken in the oil, carefully.
Cook in frying oil 7-8 minutes or until golden brown and cooked all the way through.
Tip to check for doneness: Poke a paring knife into the chicken close to the bone, then lightly place the flat side of the knife to your chin. If it is hot to the touch, the chicken is cooked.
To serve: Season the chicken with salt and pepper and serve with honey and Tabasco on the side.