Frying Chicken?

Question

I wanted to fry chicken for Christmas dinner, but Im not exactly sure what to do to make it the best..if you have any tips/ideas/recipies Id really appreciate it! Thanks :)

Answer 1

I soak mine in buttermilk for at least an hour. Drain the buttermilk then take a cornmeal/flour mixture with seasonings (pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powder) coat chicken with dry mixture and fry up. If your worried that the chicken might not be done, you can always finish it in the oven. Try foodnetwork.com for recipes. Alton Brown and Paula Deen have some great ones.

Answer 2

I soak the chicken parts for several hours or overnight in buttermilk and before I'm ready to fry, I place them in a colander to drain. For my breading, I change it up all the time but it's usually a mixture of flour and flavored breadcrumbs or Panko crumbs for xtra crunch because the crumbs are larger and crunchy. I also mix in salt and pepper to the breading mix. I roll the drained chicken parts in the breading and fry in a few inches of hot oil which I have heated in a skillet. I use either vegetable or canola oil. Olive oil burns too easily at high temperatures.

Answer 3

Both of these recipes are stellar... just use a thermometer for the oil and use a timer to be sure you dont' let things go too long or too short.


Our Best Southern Fried Chicken
-- Southern Living

3 quarts water
1 tablespoon salt
1 (2- to 2 1/2-pound) broiler-fryer, cut up
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup bacon drippings

Combine water and 1 tablespoon salt in a large bowl; add chicken. Cover and chill 8 hours. Drain chicken; rinse with cold water, and pat dry.

Combine 1 teaspoon salt and pepper; sprinkle half of pepper mixture evenly over chicken. Combine remaining pepper mixture and flour in a large freezer bag. Place 2 pieces of chicken in bag; seal. Shake to evenly coat. Remove chicken, and repeat procedure with remaining chicken, 2 pieces at a time.

Combine vegetable oil and bacon drippings in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or chicken fryer; heat to 360°. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, skin side down. Cover and cook 6 minutes; uncover and cook 9 minutes.

Turn chicken pieces; cover and cook 6 minutes. Uncover and cook 5 to 9 minutes, turning pieces during the last 3 minutes for even browning, if necessary. Drain on paper towels.

Note: For best results, keep the oil temperature between 300° to 325° as you fry the chicken. Also, you may substitute 2 cups buttermilk for the saltwater solution used to soak the chicken pieces. Proceed as directed.

Yield: Makes 4 servings
________________________

Buttermilk Fried Chicken
--Southern Living magazine

1 quart buttermilk
1 (2- to 2 1/2-pound) broiler-fryer, cut up
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup bacon drippings

Combine chicken and buttermilk in bowl. Cover and chill 8 hours. Drain chicken.

Combine 1 teaspoon salt and pepper; sprinkle half of pepper mixture evenly over chicken. Combine remaining pepper mixture and flour in a large freezer bag. Place 2 pieces of chicken in bag; seal. Shake to evenly coat. Remove chicken, and repeat procedure with remaining chicken, 2 pieces at a time.

Combine vegetable oil and bacon drippings in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or chicken fryer; heat to 360°. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, skin side down. Cover and cook 6 minutes; uncover and cook 9 minutes.

Turn chicken pieces; cover and cook 6 minutes. Uncover and cook 5 to 9 minutes, turning pieces during the last 3 minutes for even browning, if necessary. Drain on paper towels.

Note: For best results, keep the oil temperature between 300° to 325° as you fry the chicken. Also, you may substitute 2 cups buttermilk for the saltwater solution used to soak the chicken pieces. Proceed as directed.

Yield: Makes 4 servings