Za’atar Fried Chicken with Spicy Thyme Honey

The stuff:

For the chicken and brine:

• 4 cups milk
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 peeled, seeded and halved lemon
• ½ cup honey
• 2 cups hot water
• ⅓ cup kosher salt
• 6 Tbsp Never Not Eating Za’atar
• 6 bay leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife
• 6 sprigs of thyme
• 4 chicken thighs
• 4 chicken drumsticks

For the flour mixture:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbsp Never Not Eating Za’atar
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tsp Never Not Eating Sumac S&P
• 1 Tbsp hot paprika
• 1 quart canola or vegetable oil, for frying

For the spicy thyme honey:

• ½ cup honey
• 2 Tbsp hot sauce
• 2 Tbsp chili oil
• 3 sprigs thyme
• a few peppercorns

The method:

1. In a large food safe container, add the milk and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Let it sit until it curdles, around 10 minutes. This is your “buttermilk.”
2. To the buttermilk, add the peeled, seeded and halved lemon. Crumble in the bay leaves. Add in the za’atar, smashed garlic and thyme.
3. Dissolve the salt in the hot water. This is the brine. Dissolve the honey in the brine. Add the brine to the container, along with the buttermilk and spices.
4. Add the chicken to the brine. Refrigerate for one day.
5. The next day, combine the flour, baking powder, za’atar, thyme, sumac and paprika in large bowl. Mix thoroughly to combine.
6. Remove chicken from buttermilk brine, but do not throw away the brine.
7. Coat the wet chicken in a thin layer of the flour mixture, and let come to room temperature on drying rack set over paper towels. (Cold chicken in hot oil will cause splatters and lower the temperature of the oil as well.)
8. Heat the oil to 370°F in large cast iron or heavy bottomed pot. Once chicken is close to room temperature, dip in the reserved buttermilk brine and then in the flour mixture once more, then drop gently into the hot oil.
9. Fry 3 pieces at a time. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and until instant read thermometer inserted into chicken reaches 165°F.
10. Remove from oil, and sprinkle with fresh thyme. In a small sauce pan, combine the ingredients for the spicy honey. Let come to a boil. Serve drizzled over the hot chicken, immediately.