Fried Chicken for a Picnic

Ingredients:

Butter with honey and giardiniera

• 220 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup giardiniera, drained well and finely chopped (reserve the brine for the chicken)

Chicken

• 1/4 cup giardiniera brine
• 1/4 cup brine from a jar of pickled cucumbers
• 1 roasting chicken, cut into pieces (thighs, breasts, legs and wings)
• 2 cups of sour milk or kefir
• 2 cups premium flour
• 0.5 cup cornstarch
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp coarse salt
• 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Rapeseed oil (canola), for frying

Preparation:

1. Butter with honey and giardiniera:
   
   Place the butter, honey, and salt to taste in a bowl and mix until smooth. Stir in the giardiniera. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Chicken:
   
   Place the chicken thighs in a zip-lock bag and cover with the brine. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
3. When the chicken is ready to fry, fill the cauldron halfway with oil and heat the oil to 175°C.
4. Pour the sour milk into a large bowl, and in another large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Using tongs, drizzle a little of the sour milk into the flour mixture.
5. Remove 1-2 chicken pieces at a time from the brine and dip them in the sour milk. Then, transfer one piece at a time to the flour mixture and turn to coat completely. Transfer to a plate and coat the remaining chicken in the same manner.
6. Drop the chicken, 2–3 pieces at a time, into the hot oil and fry until browned and crispy, 12–15 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a wire rack on a baking sheet to drain excess fat. Serve immediately with the butter and giardiniera, or let cool on a wire rack, loosely covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Serve the chicken on a picnic with the softened butter and giardiniera.