Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich with Slaw

Thighs beat breasts here every time: they stay juicy through a hot fry and have enough flavor to hold their own against the crust. A long soak in buttermilk and hot sauce seasons the meat and tenderizes it. The trick for those shaggy, crunchy ridges is to drizzle a few spoonfuls of the buttermilk marinade into the flour and rub it in until little clumps form, which cling to the chicken. Keep the oil at 350 F and fry in batches so the temperature does not crash.