Leg Quarter Marinade:

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and MSG. Add the chicken leg quarters, ensuring they are fully submerged in the marinade. Cover  with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. 

Dredge:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, MSG, smoked paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder until evenly combined.

Spice Mixture:

1. In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together the cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, brown sugar, and chicken bouillon powder, if using.

Leg Quarter Frying + Assembly:

1. In a large 7-quart heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add enough oil to fill halfway. Place heat to medium and bring to 325°F (163°C). You will need to cook this chicken in two batches. If you wish to cook it all at once, I would recommend using two large 7-quart Dutch ovens and adding 3.5 quarts of oil in EACH Dutch oven.
2. Dip your fingers into the marinade and flick small flecks of the liquid into your dry dredge, repeating this process twice for a total of three times. Whisk until evenly distributed. This will create crispy, craggly bits on the exterior of the chicken.
3. One at a time, remove the leg quarters from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Place into the dredge and press the flour mixture firmly onto all sides until there are no bald spots remaining. Shake off any excess dredge, then transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with all of the chicken.
4. Fry the dredged chicken at 325°F (163°C) until deeply golden brown and the thickest part of the meat registers 165°F (74°C), about 12-15 minutes depending on size.
5. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and allow to rest for 2-3 minutes.
6. Once the chicken has finished frying, carefully ladle about 1 cup (240mL) of the hot frying oil, ideally around 350°F (177°C), into the previously prepared spice mixture. Whisk until smooth.
7. Dunk your fried chicken into the hot oil and toss until generously coated on all sides, optionally spooning additional spicy oil on top once removed. Place atop a slice of Texas toast and garnish with a couple of dill pickle slices. Serve and enjoy!

Tenders Marinade:

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and MSG. Add the chicken strips, ensuring they are fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Ranch:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, parsley, and dill. Add enough buttermilk to achieve a thick but spreadable consistency. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Slaw:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cabbage, mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Toss until evenly coated and refrigerate until ready to serve. Ideally toss the slaw immediately before serving to avoid any potential sogginess.

Tenders Frying + Assembly:

1. In a large 7-quart heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add enough oil to fill halfway. Place heat to medium and bring to 350°F (177°C). You will need to cook this chicken in two batches. If you wish to cook it all at once, I would recommend using two large 7-quart Dutch ovens and adding 3.5 quarts of oil in EACH Dutch oven.
2. Dip your fingers into the marinade and flick small flecks of the liquid into your dry dredge, repeating this process twice for a total of three times. Whisk until evenly distributed. This will create crispy, craggly bits on the exterior of the chicken.
3. A few at a time, remove the chicken strips from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Place into the dredge and press the flour mixture firmly onto all sides until there are no bald spots remaining. Shake off any excess dredge, then transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with all of the chicken.
4. Fry the dredged chicken at 350°F (177°C) until deeply golden brown and the thickest part of the meat registers 165°F (74°C), about 3-5 minutes depending on size.
5. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and allow to rest for 2-3 minutes.
6. Once the chicken has finished frying, carefully ladle about 1 cup (240mL) of the hot frying oil, ideally around 350°F (177°C), into the previously prepared spice mixture. Whisk until smooth.
7. Dunk your fried chicken into the hot oil and toss until generously coated on all sides, optionally spooning additional spicy oil on top once removed.
8. Toast the brioche buns in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat with unsalted butter until lightly golden, about 1-2 minutes. Spread a generous amount of the ranch on the bottom bun then lay down a few slices of pickle. Top with 2 to 3 of the Nashville hot tenders, a handful of the slaw, and finally the ranched top bun. Crown your king, serve, and enjoy!

Notes:

• I have provided two ways to serve this chicken: classic bone-in leg quarters or a chicken strip sandwich. The marinade, dredge, and spice mixture are the same for each. Choose your preferred version and enjoy!