Ingredients
- 8 Chicken thighs (organic or natural with skin on)
- 3 Tbsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. coarsely-ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Directions
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In the morning, combine the 2 Tbsp. salt with about a cup of warm water in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve the salt. Trim the chicken of excess skin and fat. Add the chicken to the bowl. Cover with very cold water and a tray of ice cubes. Chill in the refrigerator until dinner time.
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Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Remove the chicken from the fridge and pat dry completely with paper towels. Put the butter in a roasting pan large enough to fit the chicken in one layer. Place the pan in the oven.
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In a freezer bag, pour in the flour, remaining 1 Tbsp. sea salt and pepper. Give it a good shake. Add the chicken pieces tow at a time and shake them of vigorously. This is vital. You do not want a gummy coating. Line them up on a plate and repeat with the rest.
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Lay the chicken pieces in the roasting pan, skin side down, and oven-fry until a chestnut brown and crisp on the bottom, about 40 minutes (sometimes it takes a long as an hour). Don’t flip them until this happens. Use a thin spatula to scrape them up off the pan and turn them; cook the other side the same way. Remove the pieces from the oven as they finish cooking, and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.
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Just before serving, grind fresh pepper over top and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.