FOOD NEWS
Brine Your Fried Chicken In Water Instead Of Buttermilk
By Molly Wilson
Plenty of fried chicken recipes start with a buttermilk bath for flavor and tenderness, but some swear by a simple brine instead, citing an unbeatably moist and juicy outcome.
YouTube chef Alex Mejia claims that by brining the chicken in water instead of buttermilk, the crispy breading will stick to the meat rather than falling away onto the plate.
Most buttermilk fried chicken recipes will call for you to marinate the chicken in a bath, let the excess buttermilk drip off, then dredge the chicken in a flour mixture.
However, a buttermilk bath can introduce excess moisture, so you need to pat the chicken dry before dredging it in order to keep control of the moisture in the flour.
Drying it off stops the breading from becoming mushy and helps the flour stick to the chicken. Brining in water also saves some money and accommodates a lactose-intolerant palate.