Peaches HotHouse, a Brooklyn restaurant specializing in notoriously spicy Nashville-style fried chicken, is not exaggerating when it says the chicken is hot. And when they say extra hot - well, you've been warned. Have a handkerchief and an ice-cold beer ready, then pick up a drumstick and take a bite.At first, all is well as you crunch through the fried skin; it is oily, brittle and crisp. Next, you sense sweetness from a touch of sugar in the spice mix. For a moment, you're feeling cocky.
But then it comes: the chili onslaught. A pungent, fiery, screaming blast of heat that will make you cry with agony and bliss. Drink some beer. Wipe your nose. Repeat.When the owners, Ben Grossman and Craig Samuel, along with their chef, Rodney Frazer, set out to make their own version of the chicken inspired by classic Nashville renditions, they knew regular cayenne alone wouldn't be incendiary enough. So they added a dose of one of the hottest chilies in the world, ghost chilies, which can reach 1,000,000 on the Scoville scale, which rates the heat of peppers. (Compare that with 50,000 for cayenne.)
It took much trial and error to come up with this chili mix, spiked with paprika, black pepper, and dried garlic and onion. In the tradition of the hot-chicken houses in Nashville, the Peaches team has kept the recipe secret. It has never been given out in the restaurant's four years in business; you see it here first. At home, you can adjust the heat by dialing back the chili powder. Or add more. If you dare.Peaches Hot House Extra Hot Chicken
Adapted from Rodney Frazer, Peaches HotHouse, Brooklyn
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes, plus at least 13 hours for brining and resting
Yield: 4 to 5 servingsFor the brine:
1/2 cup coarse kosher salt1/3 cup ground black pepper3 tablespoons onion powder3 tablespoons garlic powder3 tablespoons cayenne pepper3 tablespoons paprika3 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into 10 piecesFor the very hot spice:
3 tablespoons cayenne pepper1 to 2 teaspoons smoked ghost-chili powder or smoked hot paprika2 tablespoons granulated sugarFor the dredge:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour3 tablespoons granulated garlic3 tablespoons granulated onion2 teaspoons kosher salt2 teaspoons ground black pepperSafflower, corn or vegetable oil, for frying2 large eggs1. Prepare the brine: In a large bowl, whisk salt and spices in 2 cups boiling water until salt dissolves. Whisk in 6 cups ice water. The brine should be cold; if not, chill until it is. Add chicken pieces to the cold brine and chill for at least 12 and up to 24 hours.2. In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the very hot spice mixture. In another bowl, prepare the dredge: combine the flour, granulated garlic and onion, salt and pepper.3. Remove chicken pieces from brine, pat dry with paper towels and season with a light dusting of hot spice mixture. Dust pieces with dredge mixture. Reserve both the remaining hot spice mixture and the dredge. Let chicken rest in fridge, uncovered, for at least an hour for the coating to adhere.4. Pour 2 inches of oil into a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a cover. Heat oil to 325 degrees on a deep-fat thermometer. In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 cups ice water to make egg wash. Dip chicken in egg wash, then coat with more dredge. Shake pieces lightly so any excess dredge falls off.5. Carefully place chicken in hot oil, about 3 to 4 pieces per batch. Cover pot with lid and let fry for 5 to 6 minutes, until golden brown on one side. Remove lid and flip pieces. Fry another 5 to 6 minutes, uncovered. Using tongs, transfer cooked chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch the oil drips. Dust with very hot spice as it comes out of the fryer.© 2014 New York Times News Service
But then it comes: the chili onslaught. A pungent, fiery, screaming blast of heat that will make you cry with agony and bliss. Drink some beer. Wipe your nose. Repeat.When the owners, Ben Grossman and Craig Samuel, along with their chef, Rodney Frazer, set out to make their own version of the chicken inspired by classic Nashville renditions, they knew regular cayenne alone wouldn't be incendiary enough. So they added a dose of one of the hottest chilies in the world, ghost chilies, which can reach 1,000,000 on the Scoville scale, which rates the heat of peppers. (Compare that with 50,000 for cayenne.)
It took much trial and error to come up with this chili mix, spiked with paprika, black pepper, and dried garlic and onion. In the tradition of the hot-chicken houses in Nashville, the Peaches team has kept the recipe secret. It has never been given out in the restaurant's four years in business; you see it here first. At home, you can adjust the heat by dialing back the chili powder. Or add more. If you dare.Peaches Hot House Extra Hot Chicken
Adapted from Rodney Frazer, Peaches HotHouse, Brooklyn
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes, plus at least 13 hours for brining and resting
Yield: 4 to 5 servingsFor the brine:
1/2 cup coarse kosher salt1/3 cup ground black pepper3 tablespoons onion powder3 tablespoons garlic powder3 tablespoons cayenne pepper3 tablespoons paprika3 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into 10 piecesFor the very hot spice:
3 tablespoons cayenne pepper1 to 2 teaspoons smoked ghost-chili powder or smoked hot paprika2 tablespoons granulated sugarFor the dredge:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour3 tablespoons granulated garlic3 tablespoons granulated onion2 teaspoons kosher salt2 teaspoons ground black pepperSafflower, corn or vegetable oil, for frying2 large eggs1. Prepare the brine: In a large bowl, whisk salt and spices in 2 cups boiling water until salt dissolves. Whisk in 6 cups ice water. The brine should be cold; if not, chill until it is. Add chicken pieces to the cold brine and chill for at least 12 and up to 24 hours.2. In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the very hot spice mixture. In another bowl, prepare the dredge: combine the flour, granulated garlic and onion, salt and pepper.3. Remove chicken pieces from brine, pat dry with paper towels and season with a light dusting of hot spice mixture. Dust pieces with dredge mixture. Reserve both the remaining hot spice mixture and the dredge. Let chicken rest in fridge, uncovered, for at least an hour for the coating to adhere.4. Pour 2 inches of oil into a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a cover. Heat oil to 325 degrees on a deep-fat thermometer. In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 cups ice water to make egg wash. Dip chicken in egg wash, then coat with more dredge. Shake pieces lightly so any excess dredge falls off.5. Carefully place chicken in hot oil, about 3 to 4 pieces per batch. Cover pot with lid and let fry for 5 to 6 minutes, until golden brown on one side. Remove lid and flip pieces. Fry another 5 to 6 minutes, uncovered. Using tongs, transfer cooked chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch the oil drips. Dust with very hot spice as it comes out of the fryer.© 2014 New York Times News Service
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