Ad Hoc Fried Chicken

I'd heard that this was the best fried chicken ever made so I had to try it. Forgive the poor picture - all I had was my cell phone at the time. I didn't make the brine from scratch - I found an "Ad Hoc Fried Chicken" kit from Williams Sonoma that kept me from having to purchase all of the ingredients - I will probably do the same next time I make the recipe.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/ad-hoc-fried-chicken-kit/

Brine:
1 gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
12 bay leaves
1/2 cup garlic cloves, skin left on, smashed
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
About 1/2 ounce (3 large) rosemary sprigs
About 1/2 ounce (1 large bunch) thyme sprigs
About 2 ounces (1 large bunch) flat leafed parsley sprigs
Grated zest and juice of 2 large lemons

Coating:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 quart buttermilk
10 cups peanut oil
Kosher salt

For the brine: Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely before using.

Rinse the chickens and place the chickens in the cold brine and refrigerate overnight or for up to 12 hours. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat the chicken dry, removing any herbs or spices sticking to the skin. With a knife and pair of kitchen shears, cut the chicken up into 8 pieces: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breast halves and 2 wings.

For the coating: Mix the coating ingredients together in a bowl and place the buttermilk in a second container.

Bring the peanut oil to 330˚F in the 6 quart sauté pan.

Just before frying, dip each piece of chicken into the coating, patting off the excess, then into the buttermilk and back into the coating. Place the chicken on a parchment lined sheet tray.

When the oil has reached the proper temperature, carefully lower the pieces of dark meat into the oil. The temperature of the oil will decrease. Adjust the heat as necessary to bring the oil to proper temperature. Fry the dark meat for about 13 minutes, to a deep golden brown, cooked throughout and very crisp. Remove the chicken to a tray lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

Carefully add the white meat to the oil and fry for about 6 to 7 minutes until cooked.
Remove to the tray, sprinkle with salt and turn off the heat under the oil.

Feedback: This chicken was very good - I suppose it has to be because if it wasn't no one would go to all of the trouble that it required. It was amazing and I'd make it again but in a much smaller batch than I did this time (20-22 pieces).

I tried to cheat and use a deep fryer because I knew I could control them temperature and not have the grease splatter - bad idea. I could only cook 2 legs or wings at a time or one breast. I was standing at my fryer from 3:30p - 8:30p .... In fact company had ledt by the time the last piece came out!