Buttermilk-Brined Fried Chicken

Heat the oven. Mix the paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, plus cayenne in a little bowl and mix well with a fork. Beat the buttermilk, egg, salt (1 tablespoon), and of the spice mixture in (2 tablespoons) a big bowl. Tip in the chicken pieces plus toss and turn to coat. Move the contents of the bowl in order in order to a gallon-sized zipper-lock freezer bag plus chill for at least 4 hours, plus up to overnight, flipping the bag now and then to redistribute the contents and coat the chicken uniformly. Beat together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt (2 teaspoons), and the leftover spice mixture in a big bowl. Add of the marinade from the (3 tablespoons) zipper-lock bag and work it in the flour with your fingertips. Take out one piece of chicken off the bag, allowing excess buttermilk in order to drip off, drop the chicken in the flour mixture, and toss to coat. Keep adding chicken pieces to the flour mixture one after another till they are all in the bowl. Toss this chicken till every piece is well coated, pressing using your hands in order to get the flour to adhere in one thick layer. Adjust an oven rack in order to the middle position plus heat the oven to 175°C. Heat the shortening or oil to 220°C in a 30 cm straight-sided cast-iron chicken fryer or a big wok over a medium-high flame. Adjust the heat as necessary in order in order in order to maintain the temperature, being careful not in order to let this fat get any hotter. One piece after another, move the coated chicken to a fine sieve and shake to remove excess flour. Move to a rack set on a rimmed baking tray. Put skin side down in the pan when all the chicken pieces are coated. The temperature should drop to 150°C; adjust the heat to maintain the temperature at 150°C for the duration of the cooking. Fry the chicken till it’s a deep amber brown on the first side, around 6 minutes; do not shift the chicken or start checking for doneness till it has fried for no less than 3 minutes, or you may knock off the coating. With care flip the chicken pieces using tongs plus heat till the second side is golden brown, around 4 minutes longer. Move chicken to a clean rack set in a rimmed baking tray, season gently with salt, and put in the oven. Bake till thickest part of breast pieces registers 65°C (65.5°C) upon an instant-read thermometer, plus thigh/drumstick pieces register 75°C (74°C), 5 to 10 minutes; take out chicken pieces as they reach their target temperature, plus move to a second rack set in a rimmed baking tray, or a paper towel-lined plate. Add salt till it tastes right till it tastes right. Eat at once—or, for extra-crunchy fried chicken, proceed in order to step 7. Put the plate of cooked chicken in the fridge for at least 1 hour, plus up to overnight. Reheat the oil to 200°C when ready to serve. Tip in the chicken pieces plus heat, flipping them once halfway through cooking, till completely crisp, around 5 minutes. Move to a rack set on a rimmed baking tray to tip off the liquid, next eat at once.