KFC BUCKET MEAL INSPIRED BY STRANGER THINGS

For The Buttermilk Fried Chicken (Babish Style)

Break down chicken into 8 pieces. Save wing and spine pieces for making chicken stock.

Into a large food-safe bucket, add buttermilk and 12 herbs and spices along with an extra tablespoon of kosher salt and chicken pieces.

Press chicken down into the buttermilk brine and give it a good mix until they are evenly coated and keep the bucket in the fridge for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours. Take it out once or twice during its marinade time to give it good stir.

In a wide casserole dish, add 12 herbs and spices, all purpose flour and corn starch, and whisk together.

Add a few tablespoons of marinade to the dredge, and mix it up with your fingers or a fork until creating tiny little bits of breading that are going to stick to the chicken.

Bread all of the chicken at once and let those sit there for about 10 minutes.

Heat canola and peanut oils to 400°F, frying for 6-9 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Dark meat should reach 175°F and white meat should register 165°F. Place on a wire rack and keep in a low temperature oven until all of the chicken has finished frying.

Optional but you really should: Scoop up the brown, sloppy gold off the bottom of the pot and add it to the gravy.

FOR THE Homemade Chicken Stock

Add chicken bones and vegetables to a large saucepan with oil. Brown all of the pieces.

Once the chicken has some color on it, deglaze the pot with cold water.

Bring the whole thing to simmer lower heat until it reaches a bare simmer, and keep it there for about 4 hours.

FOR THE Gravy for Mashed Potatoes

In a small saucepan, melt butter until foaming and add all purpose flour, and whisk to cook for an additional minute.

Slowly stream in chicken stock, and whisk constantly to prevent clumping.

Add a good glug of soy sauce.

Simmer for 3-4 minutes until it gets nice and thick. Taste for seasoning.

FOR THE Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Peel russet potatoes and chop into 1 inch cubes. Place into a pot of cold water.

Bring the pot to a boil. Once a boil is reached, cook for 12-16 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.

Rinse the potatoes with hot tap water.

Place a few chunks of potato in a potato ricer and press them through. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Add unsalted butter at room temperature (cut into 1 inch pieces) warm milk, some kosher salt and white pepper.

Mix together.

FOR THE Buttermilk Biscuits

Start by combining all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a bowl. Whisk with a fork until homogeneous.

By using the slightly larger holes on a cheese grater, grate frozen butter.

Add butter to the flour mixture, and mix around until all the pieces are coated.

Add buttermilk to the mixture and give it a good stir.

Remove the mixture from the bowl and continue to try to coax together into a sort of rectangle. Using a generously floured rolling pin, roll it out to a 16 by 9 inch rectangle and fold in thirds like a letter.Watch the episode above if you need help!

Repeat this process five times.

Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.

Roll the dough out to a roughly 9x9 square-ish shape, and trim off the edges using a very sharp knife that was dusted in flour.

Cut cleanly into 9 square biscuits.

Place back on the parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with butter.

Bake the biscuits at 400°F for 20-25 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before consumption.