Been all over the recipe sites, and cannot find one that suits me!
What I am looking for:
Ingredients for batter and flour mix, and instructions on how to make it have a crispy coating...
Do I dredge the chicken in something first?
What are your tips?
How do you make it at your home?
I have been cooking on my own for a few years now and never cooked fried chicken!
Thanks in advance for any tips and pointers!
2009-06-07T12:21:29Z
And to the smart alec who recommended KFC, I live in rural Alaska, where there isn't any fast food...
Happiest in the kitchen.2009-06-07T11:00:08Z
Favorite Answer
This comes from an old cook from my town. He is well known thru out the county for his fried chicken. My mother in -law used to make his recipe at her resturant and he told me that I did it just right.
8 cups flour 2 tbsp onion powder 2 tbsp celery salt 2 tbsp poultry seasoning 2 tbsp white pepper 2 tbsp salt
Mix everything well and put in a reealable container. You will obviously not need the whole recipe, and it is great for chicken fried steaks, chicken nuggets, or anything that calls for seasoned flour.
Set up 2 bowls.One with ice water and one with the flour. Get a large sifter handy.
Dip chicken in the water then flour, then water and flour again. Drop in 350 degree oil. If ou have enough oil to submerge the chicken then your set a timer for 15 min exactly. If you only have enough oil to cover it say half way then probably around 5-7 minutes per side.
SIft the flour after every 4-6 pieces of chicken. The removes and clumps in the flour. If left in the main bowl these will stick to pieces and end up becoming hard rocks on your chicken-NO GOOD.
Even as the water becomes thicker with all the left behind flour keep it unless it gets real thick and goopy-ish. Ot add to the crust of the chicken.
Alton Brown does a show called "Fry Hard" where he shows some great tricks for fried chicken.
Create a spice shake of salt, pepper, then anything else you want like Paprika, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Italian spices etc.
Soak the chicken in buttermilk overnight or just dip chicken in some milk.
Sprinkle generously with your spice shake, then dredge in flour. Shake off excess.
IMPORTANT: Set chicken on a plate for 4-5 minutes to let the flour harden up a bit. Too much is paste, but not waiting will just cause the coating to drift off.
Put chicken in skillet with about 1 inch of oil (Crisco works great). The pan should be smoking so that adding the chicken does not stop the bubbling. Let chicken brown for 4-5 minutes, then flip.
Transfer chicken to a baking dish (and have oven set to 375). Repeat until all chicken is browned. Put baking dish in oven for 30 minutes.
Bonus: A rack that fits your baking dish is great. This allows the oil and fat from the chicken to drip off. Yet - the browning creates a crisp coating.
Chicken chicken fried steak crumbs The crumb mix is also sooo yummy for fried green tomatoes. 6 cups panko bread crumbs 2 tbsp dried parsley 1 tsp poultry seasoning 1 tsp white pepper 1 tbsp seasoned salt 2 tsp garlic salt or powder 1 1/2 tsp thyme Mix well and put some in a bowl or I like to use a pie plate. Pound out chicken breasts so they are all a unifrom thickness. Then in a bowl bowl or dish of some kind whisk up some butter milk and eggs. Dip the chicken in the wet mix then press firmly into the bread crumbs on both sides. You can double dip but the crust just gets to thick. Pan fry using butter or olive oil until golden brown and then top with chcken gravy or fresh squeezed lemon juice.
The batter has to sit for at least an hour (preferably two) before cooking. This is enough for about 6-8 pieces, if you are making more, increase the ingredients. You can serve with fries, baked potatoes, salad... or, if you have onions on hand, make more of the batter and make your own onion rings! Beer-Battered Fried Chicken Ingredients 1 cup beer (I have used club soda in place of beer on occasion) 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt Oil, for frying Chicken pieces Directions In a bowl, combine the beer, flour, and salt, and allow to sit at room temperature for several hours. Preheat a fryer or a deep pot halfway filled with oil to 350 F. Dip chicken in the batter and fry for approximately 10-12 minutes (if you are using a pan instead of a deep fryer, you will cook for 10 minutes on one side, then flip and cook another 8 minutes or so on the other). Drain on paper towels. You can also make it without the club soda or beer (it just will not be as thick a batter). You have to make sure your chicken is really wet, or the flour won't stick. You can marinade it in the fridge for a few hours in advance in buttermilk if you have it (ranch dressing also works for this!); if not, you can use regular water or a beaten egg (don't marinade, just make sure it is wet). You can then dredge it in your flour mixture (you can add salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, whatever seasonings you like) and fry.
Frying chicken can be as simple or complicated an undertaking as you like.
Some cooks swear by soaking the chicken overnight in buttermilk--which flavors, moisturizes, and tenderizes the meat--before coating it in seasoned flour, while others insist that a coating of breadcrumbs or beer batter is the only way to fry. The best way to discover your favorite method is to experiment with different seasonings and techniques until you hit on the perfect preparation.
If you want to brine your chicken before coating and frying, see our Brining article for tips. Chicken pieces should be brined for only about an hour or so, not overnight.