The 2020 Club Exclusive Pinot Noir brings me notes of dark black cherry and the perfect hint of spice. With this pairing, I’m playing into the subtleties of this wine by elevating the typically neutral meat of chicken with a brine, rather than a heavy sauce or cooking process. – Executive Chef & Culinary Director, Becca Richards

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken, butchered for frying, or 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 2 C water
  • 2 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 10 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 5 cloves of garlic, gently smashed
  • 3 cans of your favorite cola
  • 3 tsp of your favorite vinegary hot sauce (something like Cholula or Tabasco)
  • 2 C ice
  • 2 1/2 C all purpose flour
  • 1/2 C fine cornmeal
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 4 C canola (the best is peanut oil, but for allergy sakes, I use canola)

Directions:

The Brine:

  1. In a pot, bring the water, salt, herbs, and garlic to a boil.
  2. Add the cola and hot sauce, then pour the brine over the chicken.
  3. Add the ice, then tightly wrap, and let rest for 3 hours minimum. It’s best if it can sit overnight.

The Dredge:

  1. In a large bowl, add your flower, cornmeal, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic and onion powder, and cayenne and whisk together until combined thoroughly.

Time to Fry:

  1. In a large cast iron frying pan or Dutch oven, bring your oil to 375 degrees. Your temperature will fall during cooking to about 350 degrees, but that’s cool! The range you’re targeting is 350-375.
  2. Remove the chicken from the brine and dredge the entire outside of the piece. Chef Bex Pro Tip: I rest the chicken on a wire rack while dredging the chicken this so the excess flour mixture can fall while I am dredging all the pieces . Once complete, gently shake your rack to remove excess flour mix.
  3. Working in small batches, no more than 2-3 pieces at a time, fry your chicken for approximately 9 minutes in 3-minute intervals (3 minutes, flip, 3 minutes, flip, 3 minutes).
  4. The juices should run clear if pricked with a knife, or your thermometer should read 165 degrees.
  5. Once fried, rest chicken on a new, clean wire rack. Resting your chicken on a rack will keep the crust from getting soggy. You can keep your chicken warm in the oven at the lowest setting, around 175-200 degrees, until its all fried.
  6. Pour a glass of our Pinot Noir and the enjoy this pairing!!

About the 2020 Club Exclusive Pinot Noir

APPELLATION
Willamette Valley

VINEYARD COMPOSITION
Entirely made up of estate grown fruit, 42% from our sister vineyard, Stoller Estate Vineyard, and 58% coming from Ridgecrest Vineyard.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES
Dark black cherry and oiled leather aromatics feel strong and vigorous, but the delicate rose petals make their debut and pull you back in. Swirl it another time in your glass and enjoy it over and over again.