Buttermilk Spring Chicken

Name: Buttermilk Chicken
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients: 4 chicken leg quarters (about 2½ lb.); 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 lemon; 2 cups buttermilk, divided; 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil; ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt or sour cream; Hot sauce (for seasoning); 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 6 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced into ½"-thick rounds; A small handful of chives, thinly sliced

By Carla Lalli Music

May 4, 2020

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Photo by Carla Lalli Music

People have been brining chicken in buttermilk since forever, often as the first step in a dredged and fried chicken situation. But we have chef and cookbook author Samin Nosrat to credit for the idea of roasting poultry straight out of a buttermilk bath, which not only imparts delicious tangy flavor, but also helps the skin achieve a walnut-colored hue when roasted at high heat.

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