Fried Chicken With Coffee Molasses Recipe

Randy Reppel February 11, 2015

How about a little tea and/or coffee with your chicken? Don’t worry, it won’t get in the way — we’re talking the brine and sauce, respectively, which is how chef Randy Reppel does deep-fried bird at Williamsburg’s all-organic Sweet Chick. The sweet-tea brine keeps the meat juicy and succulent, and the drizzle of coffee-spiked molasses brings it all home. Make it at home, pair it with your favorite waffle recipe and elevate this humble cuisine to “everyone’s favorite thing you make.”

Fried Chicken With Coffee Molasses Recipe

Prep Time: 40 minutes plus brining time
Cook Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients

Brine

12 chicken legs and thighs, in total
1 gallon water
1 cup sweet tea
3/4 cup salt
1/4 cup pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Dredge

2 quarts flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 quart buttermilk

Coffee Molasses Glaze

1 quart molasses
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup coffee beans
1/2 cup honey
5 tablespoons instant coffee
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1 stick butter
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cornstarch, for slurry
4 tablespoons water, for slurry
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

For the glaze:

Combine all ingredients except for the cornstarch and water in a pot and reduce by half.
Mix slurry ingredients together thoroughly and add to molasses mixture.
Thicken until you reach a glossy gravy consistency.
Strain, then set aside and keep warm.

For the fried chicken:

Brine chicken for 24 hours, then pat dry.
Coat each piece of chicken with dredge, removing excess, then coat with buttermilk.
Dredge again and set aside.
Fry in vegetable oil at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until internal temperature is 175-180°F.
Remove chicken from pot and drain on paper towels.
Drizzle with sauce and serve.

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