Let’s connect on a
higher level.
Keep up to date on the latest news from LAKE GRADE.
In times like these, we’re all seeking comfort—so much comfort—and many of us are turning to our kitchens to find it. As we all know, our friends down South take comfort food to a whole ‘notha level. And nothing delivers, delicious, mouth-watering, southern comfort better than crispy, homemade fried chicken. Plus, it’s Memorial Day weekend, so why not do some cookin’.
Our soul-soothing Rosemary Fried Chicken comes to you courtesy of our ever-imaginative culinary cannabis scientists who have dreamed up a recipe that will delight all of your senses and bring comfort and joy to everyone in your quarantine bubble. The infused herb butter carries the bright, energizing scent of rosemary—courtesy of the terpene pinene—which will lighten your mood and balance out the canna-mellow. The delicious fried chicken is drizzled with this magical, buttery, herbaceous canna-infused elixir after it’s fried to preserve the potency and the cannabinoids and terpenes of everyone’s favorite herb.
“I like fried chicken. I like prepping it. I like cooking it. I really like eating it. It is a labor of love. There is a feeling of accomplishment when all is said and done. The rosemary brine was key and kept the pieces incredibly tender. The lemon and garlic additions added a nice lightness to a normally heavy dish. Still crunchy, the morning after. I hope you enjoy cooking and eating this as much as I did!â€â€”Kevin
“Funnest cooking project to date. The bird remained crunchy and crispy on day two—which is basically how long the leftovers lasted. We drizzled the chicken post fry with the infused herb butter to preserve the cannabinoids and give it an extra flavor kick. Craggy and crunchy outside while tender and delicate inside. Enjoy!â€â€”Alex
Equipment:
- Medium to large pot for making brine
- Zester
- 2 mixing bowls
- Paper towels for drying chicken
- Small saucepan for infused herb butter
- Le Creuset cast iron dutch oven for frying (any deep, large, heavy pan will work)
- Wire rack
- Sheet pan
- Candy thermometer (for measuring the temperature of your fry oil)
- Meat thermometer
If you have one, a thermapen can be used in lieu of the candy and meat thermometers to measure both the oil and meat temperatures
- Tongs for frying
Ingredients:
Brine
- 8 CUPS water
- 1/2 CUP salt
- 1/4 CUP sugar
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 4 bay leaves
- 4 medium-sized cloves of garlic, smashed
- 2 TBSP black peppercorns
- 3 lemons, zested and cut in half
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 LBS, broken down into 10 pieces (breasts cut in half for easier frying and portion sizing)
- 48 OZ Peanut Oil for frying
Buttermilk Dredge
- 1 CUP buttermilk
- 1 egg white
- 1 TSP salt
Flour Dredge
- 2 1/4 CUP flour
- 3/4 CUP cornstarch
- 2 TBSP cornmeal
- 1 1/4 TSP salt
- 2 TSP dried thyme
- 1 TBSP garlic powder
- 1 TBSP onion powder
- 2 TSP black pepper
Infused Rosemary Herb Butter
- 1 TBSP cannabutter (approximately 50MG THC)
- 2 TSP fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 TBSP unsalted butter
- Zest of a lemon (approximately 2 TSP)
Makes: 10 pieces chicken, drizzled with 1 TSP infused oil per piece (approximately 5MG THC per piece)
Directions:
Step 1: Make the brine
- Combine all brine ingredients in a medium to large pot and bring to boil.
- When salt and sugar have dissolved completely, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Chill until ready to add chicken.
Step 2: Breakdown and brine the chicken
- Break down your bird into 10 pieces—2 drumsticks, 2 wings, 2 thighs, 4 breast pieces (each breast cut in half). You can also ask your butcher to do this part for you.
- Add chicken pieces to chilled brine. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 7 hours.
Step 2: Set up your dredging stations
- In a medium bowl, make your flour dredge.
- Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, salt, thyme, garlic and onion powders, and pepper) so that they’re evenly combined.
Cornstarch adds extra crunch and produces a beautiful brown color.
- Set aside.
- In another medium bowl, make your buttermilk soak which will bind the dry ingredients to your chicken pieces.
- Mix together buttermilk, egg white, and salt.
The protein in your egg white acts like a glue for your other ingredients
- Set aside.
Step 3: Make the infused herb butter
- Melt the infused herb butter ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Set aside.
Step 4: Coat the chicken for frying
- Remove from brine and, using paper towels, thoroughly pat dry your chicken pieces prior to dipping and coating.
The dryer the bird, the better the layers of buttermilk and flour will stick to your chicken, leading to a crunchier coating in the finished product.
- Lightly dunk your chicken pieces in the flour mixture, thoroughly coating each one and shaking off excess.
- Dunk each piece in buttermilk, then return to the flour mixture for a second coating. Use your hands to press a final layer of flour dredge firmly onto each piece of moist chicken. The more flour mix you can get to adhere to your chicken pieces, the more delectable the crunch in the finished product.
Step 5: Fry the chicken
- Heat your fry oil to 325 to 330° in your large, cast iron pot.
- Slowly lower chicken pieces into the hot oil—we recommend cooking them two at a time for the larger pieces (breasts, thighs); wings and drumsticks can be cooked together.
- It’s super important to monitor the oil temperature as you fry, increasing or decreasing the heat to maintain a consistent temperature of 325-330° throughout. Consistent heat is key to tasty, evenly cooked chicken.
- Cook for approximately 7-9 minutes—cooking time will vary depending on the size of the piece. Flip pieces with tongs halfway through (after 3 to 4 minutes) and fry until the meat registers 165° on your thermapen or meat thermometer. Don’t worry too much if you go a little over 165°. The brining helps to keep the chicken moist and tender even with overcooking.
- Remove pieces of cooked chicken from the oil and place on a wire rack over a sheet pan to cool.
- Garnish each piece with a 1 TSP drizzle of infused rosemary herb butter before serving.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Nom, nom, nom. Yum!