Freight House Fried Chicken

Whisk together buttermilk, hot sauce, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the salt in a large ziplock plastic bag; add chicken thighs. Remove excess air from bag; seal bag, and place in a baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in refrigerator, and let marinate at least 4 hours or preferably up to 12 hours.

Whisk together flour, granulated garlic, granulated onion, paprika, cayenne, and remaining 2 tablespoons salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with oil to a depth of 2 1/2 inches, making sure there’s enough room to add chicken without oil overflowing. Heat oil over medium-high until a deep-fry thermometer registers 355°F. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet; set aside.

Drain chicken; do not pat dry. Dredge each thigh in flour mixture to thoroughly coat; reserve remaining flour mixture. Discard remaining marinade in bag. Transfer chicken thighs to prepared wire rack; let stand 5 minutes.

Working in 4 batches, dredge 2 thighs lightly in flour mixture again, and carefully add to hot oil. (Temperature of oil will gradually start to drop.) Adjust heat as needed to reduce oil temperature to 325°F, and cook chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest portion of chicken registers 160°F, 8 to 12 minutes. Using tongs, remove chicken from oil, and let drain on a clean wire rack placed over a clean rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt to taste. Return oil to 355°F over medium-high. Repeat process with remaining chicken and flour mixture.