The Secret to Perfectly Crispy Fried Chicken

The fried chicken recipe you'll want to return to over and over again this summer, from a picnic in the park to a backyard potluck.

In new cookbook Fried & True (Clarkson Potter, $22.50), New York City Wine & Food Festival founder Lee Schrager rounds up some of the best chefs around the country for their favorite fried chicken recipes. Divided geographically, and with a bit of background on each recipe, it's a fantastic look at some of the different fried chicken fads in America—Cafe Boulud, on New York's Upper West Side, offers a skinless version where all extra fat is rendered out; the famous Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta serves their's with tomato pie. We love this recipe, from Mark Romano of Highland Kitchen in Boston, which serves four but is easily doubled or tripled for large crowds. His secret? A two-day brine and a special ingredient from the Mexican markets.

For the Brine

½ cup kosher salt

1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces

4 cups buttermilk

For the Dredge

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 ¾ cups cornstarch

1 cup Maseca (instant Mexican corn flour) or masa harina

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon celery salt

1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

BRINE THE CHICKEN: In a large bowl, whisk the salt with 8 cups cold water. Add the chicken, cover, and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. Drain and discard the brine, pour the buttermilk over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.

MAKE THE DREDGE: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, Maseca, salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, celery salt, and pepper.

FRY THE CHICKEN: Fill a large pot halfway with oil and heat to 350°F. Set a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk (don't rinse it!) and dredge the chicken in the flour mixture. Working in batches, fry the chicken until the internal temperature of the white pieces reaches 160°F, and the dark pieces reach 165°F, on a deep-fry thermometer (13 to 14 minutes for breasts and 16 to 17 minutes for thighs). Rest the chicken on the rack and serve with your favorite biscuits.