I was first attracted to Masala Farm: Stories and Recipes from an Uncommon Life in the Country for the pictures (taken on a farm in upstate New York) and the structure (recipes and stories organized by season). I also found the premise romantic: Author Suvir Saran, New York City restaurateur and chef (and self-confessed city boy), leaves city life in exchange for homesteading. With his book in hand, bookmarked at chapter three’s “fall,” I imagined myself doing the same; well, if walking to the Tower Grove Farmers Market on a lovely fall day and cooking in my South City apartment counted. But when I actually got to the market and started looking for some of the ingredients I would need for his recipes, like lamb pastrami, kid shanks and pheasant, I realized my best bet, if I didn’t want to run all over town, was to hit up the chicken man. 
I have never made fried chicken and was initially intimidated by the process, but this recipe was actually really easy. I loved how Saran incorporated Indian spices into both the brine and the coating. Because of time (and my lack of planning), I only brined the chicken for 4 hours, but I’m actually glad I didn’t keep it in longer because the end product was a bit too salty for my taste. 
As for frying, I tried half the batch in a deeper pan so that the chicken was emerged, and I pan-fried the rest. Although using the deeper pan followed Saran’s instructions more closely, for me, a frying novice, the pan-fried chicken ended up with a much firmer and crispier coat. 
If I make this recipe again (And I will, it was delicious.), I’ll continue to experiment with how I fry the chicken, but the taste needs no tweaking.
Peanut Fried Chicken
4 Servings
The fried chicken that I serve at my restaurant, Dévi, has a true following. The secret is in the spice-packed buttermilk brine and spiced flour mixture I use for the breading. I apply those same tactics to this completely gluten-free recipe for fried chicken. Instead of wheat flour, I use a combination of peanut flour, cornmeal (for crunch), and either amaranth or rice flour (for a shatteringly crisp coating). Fried in a cast-iron frying pan, every bite of this spice-laden country staple instantly transports me from my quiet farm to the bazaars and souqs of faraway lands where the air is laced with spices and the staccato of marketplace banter. 3 cups buttermilk
¼ cup kosher salt (plus a sprinkle for serving)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. plus 1 Tbsp. garam masala, divided
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. plus 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
½ tsp. plus 1½ tsp. sweet paprika, divided
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 3½ to 4 lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces and breasts halved crosswise if large
4 to 6 cups peanut oil for frying
1½ cups peanut flour
½ cup amaranth or rice flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tsp. ground turmeric
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• To make the brine: Whisk together the buttermilk, salt, sugar, 2 teaspoons of garam masala, coriander, 1 teaspoon of pepper, ½ teaspoon of paprika and cayenne in a large bowl until the salt is dissolved.
• Add the chicken and turn to coat in the brine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 36 hours. (To save space in the fridge, divide the chicken between two 1-gallon resealable plastic bags, making sure to evenly cover with brine.)
• Pour the peanut oil into a large pot or deep cast-iron frying pan, making sure the oil fills the pan to a depth of 1 to 1½ inches.
• Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
• Remove the chicken from the brine and place on a plate. Whisk both flours and the cornmeal with the turmeric, cinnamon and the remaining 1 tablespoon of garam masala, 2 teaspoons of pepper and 1½ teaspoons of paprika. Add the chicken to the dry mixture and toss around to coat evenly. Let the chicken sit in the spiced flour while the oil heats.
• Add the chicken to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on a sides, about 12 minutes for the wings and legs, and 15 minutes for the breasts and thighs. (If at any time during frying, the temperature of the oil dips below 300 degrees, increase the heat to medium-high.)
• Using tongs, transfer the fried chicken to a cooling rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and let cool for at least 5 minutes before sprinkling with salt and serving.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe from Masala Farm: Stories and Recipes from an Uncommon Life in the Country, by Suvir Saran, Chronicle Books, 2011 To brine or not to brine, that is the question this week. Tell us about your brining adventures and opinions in the comments section below for a chance to win a copy of Suvir Saran’s Masala Farm: Stories and Recipes from an Uncommon Life in the Country. We’ll announce the winner in next week’s By the Book column. And now, we’d like to congratulate Hao, whose comment on last week’s By the Book has won him/her a copy of Gesine Bullock-Prado’s Pie it Forward. Hao, keep an eye out for an email from the Sauce crew.
This article appears in October 2012.