Southern Fried Chicken

The Southern main course of choice

Feb 15, 2009 Aleashia Walton

You can't have a sunday evening dinner in the South without fried chicken.

Southern fried chicken, (also known as Kentucky fried chicken), is the main course staple of the South. Quiet Sunday evening meals often involve a platter of fried chicken offered up with all of the appropriate fixings – biscuits, mashed potatoes and gravy and cole slaw.

There are literally hundreds of ways to prepare this fried specialty. Closely guarded recipes are handed down from family member to family member with care.

With this recipe, the method of battering and frying are just as important as the ingredients.

Although frying chicken can seem a daunting, time-consuming task for the uninitiated, it's important to remember that practice makes perfect.

The following is a straightforward recipe that can be expanded upon depending on your tastes. Note: This recipe requires that you batter the chicken twice, giving it a thicker, crisper coating.

Kentucky Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

3 pounds of chicken pieces, (breasts, legs, etc.), fresh or thawed
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons of sea salt
1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of paprika
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of milk
Vegetable shortening or cooking oil

Preparation:

Wash the chicken thoroughly and allow it to dry on paper towels.
Combine the flour with one teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl.
Mix the other dry seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
In another large bowl, mix the eggs and milk with a whisk.
After the chicken dries, dip the chicken into the small bowl of seasoning mix, covering each piece.
Fill a 12-inch heavy skillet, (preferably cast iron), with a ½ inch of vegetable shortening or cooking oil.
Heat the pan over medium-high heat.
Dip the seasoned chicken into the milk and egg mixture, then into the flour, coating evenly with batter. Repeat.
Place the chicken into the frying pan, (without crowding the pieces), and allow it to cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the chicken meat isn’t pink (180°F for legs and thighs, 170°F for breasts).
Remove the chicken, placing it on a paper towels to drain the grease.
Serve hot.

Seasoning can be substituted depending on taste. For spicy breading, add a teaspoon of sage and oregano. Adding 1 tablespoon of powdered chicken bouillon will give the batter a stronger flavor.

Oat flour, cornmeal or crushed saltine crackers can be mixed with or substituted for all-purpose flour to give the breading a more crisp texture.

Left-over drippings from the frying can be used to make gravy, which goes great with mashed potatoes.

The copyright of the article Southern Fried Chicken in Southern Cuisine is owned by Aleashia Walton. Permission to republish Southern Fried Chicken in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Southern Fried Chicken