Pickle-brined Fried Chicken with Spicy Whipped Honey Butter & Tangy Slaw

CHICKEN MARINADE:--
1 whole 2 kg chicken, broken down into 8-10 pieces
3 small shallots, ends trimmed & sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs dill
2 cups pickle brine, strained of any seeds or whole spices
2 cups buttermilk
¼ tsp SIDS SMOKEY BBQ RUB
SIDS SALT & PEPPER to taste
SPICY WHIPPED HONEY BUTTER:--
½ cup (113 g) butter, room temperature
2 tbsp raw bush honey
¼ tsp SIDS SMOKEY BBQ RUB
½ tsp cayenne pepper
A few dashes Kaitaia Fire
SIDS SALT & PEPPER to taste
TANGY SLAW:--
2-3 tbsp Best Foods mayonnaise
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
1-2 tsp raw bush honey
½ head small green cabbage, thinly sliced
½ head small red cabbage, thinly sliced
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into thin matchsticks or shredded
1 small jalapeño, seeds removed, finely diced
1 dill pickle, finely chopped
SIDS SALT & PEPPER to taste
¼ tsp SIDS CRAZY LEMON
Lemon juice, to taste
¼ cup parsley leaves, chopped
¼ cup dill fronds, chopped
FOR FRYING:--
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup cornflour
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp SIDS SMOKEY BBQ RUB
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1½ cup buttermilk
rice bran oil, for frying

Chicken Marinade: Add the chicken pieces, shallots, garlic, dill and pickle brine to a large zip-top plastic bag or toss to combine in a bowl. In a measuring cup, whisk buttermilk with smoked paprika, SIDS SALT & PEPPER. Pour into the bag or bowl and evenly distribute. Seal the bag or cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight, up to 24 hours.
Spicy Whipped Honey Butter: In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to whip together the butter, honey, SIDS SMOKEY BBQ RUB, cayenne and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning with SIDS SALT & PEPPER as needed. Set aside until ready to serve, or refrigerate and bring back to room temperature before serving.
Once chicken has marinated, remove from the bag and discard the brine. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and set the chicken, skin-side up, on a baking tray lined with a wire rack. Leave to dry out the skin and come to room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Tangy Slaw: In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, SIDS CRAZY LEMON, vinegars and honey and season well with SIDS SALT & PEPPER. Add the sliced vegetables, pickle and toss to combine. Let sit for about 15 minutes before tasting and adjusting seasoning, adding more salt or lemon juice as needed. Just before serving, add parsley and dill and toss to combine, and adjust seasoning if needed one last time.
After the chicken has come to temperature, preheat the oven to 190˚C and set a rack over a rimmed baking tray, then set aside.
Set up the breading station by whisking flour, cornflour, onion and garlic powders, SIDS SMOKEY BBQ RUB, cayenne, and SIDS SALT & PEPPER together in a medium bowl.
In another bowl, add the buttermilk and season with SIDS SALT & PEPPER. Place a clean baking tray or baking paper on the work surface. (this is where the breaded chicken will land)
Frying: Fill a large cast iron frypan with about 5 cm of oil (but no more than ⅔ full) and place over medium heat, aiming for 162˚C. While the oil heats, bread the chicken.
Starting with the dark meat, coat each piece of chicken first with a layer of the flour mixture, shaking off the excess flour before transferring to the buttermilk. Turn to coat, let the excess drip off before transferring back to the flour and coating evenly, packing the coating on with your hands. Transfer the coated piece to the baking paper and repeat with all the remaining chicken. Once coated, the oil should be up to temperature.
Once the oil is at 162˚C, slowly lower the largest piece of chicken (should be a thigh or drumstick) skin-side down into the oil. Wait a moment before adding another piece of chicken, and be sure not to crowd the pan--this will be done in batches. Raise temperature for about 2-3 minutes immediately after adding the chicken, as the oil temperature will drop.
After about 2 minutes, begin to check the chicken pieces for browning and turn the pieces to rotate as needed, ensuring that all sides of the chicken turn a beautiful golden brown, about 8-12 minutes total. Do your best to maintain the oil temperature at 162˚C, you may have to slightly adjust the heat often. If the chicken is golden but not cooked through to 74˚C, place the undercooked pieces on the prepared baking sheet with a rack and put into the oven for a few minutes to finish cooking. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces, sprinkling lightly with salt as soon as the chicken is out of the oil.
Once all chicken pieces are golden brown and cooked through, let rest for about 10 minutes before serving as the chicken will be extremely hot. Serve alongside spicy butter and slaw.