Perfect Crispy Fried Chicken Food

PERFECT CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken drumsticks and thighs in a bowl and pour enough buttermilk over chicken to cover. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• Combine flour, cornmeal, granulated onion, granulated garlic, thyme, salt, paprika, monosodium glutamate, baking powder, and cayenne pepper in a large, wide bowl.
• Remove chicken from buttermilk and shake off excess. Discard buttermilk. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
• Dip chicken into egg whites and press into flour mixture. Allow coated chicken to rest on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Fill a cast-iron skillet or deep fryer with vegetable oil about 1/3 full. Heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Fry chicken in hot oil in batches until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Thighs may take longer to fry than drumsticks. Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined tray to drain. Keep chicken warm in preheated oven while frying remaining pieces.

CRISPY BAKED 'FRIED' CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a rack in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet.
• Rinse the chicken in cold water; pat dry. In a wide bowl or on a plate, season the flour with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dredge each chicken piece through the flour so it's fully coated, tap against the bowl to shake off excess flour and set aside. Discard the flour.
• Here comes the part kids like best: Crush the cornflakes by placing them in a big resealable plastic bag, carefully pressing the bag to push out the air. Seal up the bag (with as little air inside as possible) and run over the flakes with a rolling pin. Open the bag and pour the crushed flakes into a wide bowl or onto a plate.
• In a large bowl (big enough to dredge the chicken pieces), mix the buttermilk, mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika and sage. Give each floured chicken piece a good buttermilk bath and then roll in the cornflake crumbs.
• Arrange the chicken pieces on the rack and place in the hot oven. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, lower the heat to 375 degrees and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and crispy. The juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife. Serve with Easy Greens.
• Per serving: Calories 520; Fat 22 g (Sat. 6 g; Mono. 9 g; Poly. 5 g); Cholesterol 136 mg; Sodium 1,040 mg; Carbohydrate 41 g; Fiber 1.5 g; Protein 40 g
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 2 pounds hearty greens (escarole, chicory, mustard greens or a combination, large stems trimmed), slightly cover the pot and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain greens in a colander, then let cool about 10 minutes. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons each extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
• Per serving: Calories 130; Fat 10.5 g (Sat. 1.5 g; Mono. 7.4 g; Poly. 1.2 g); Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 27.5 mg; Carbohydrate 9 g; Fiber 7 g; Protein 2.5 g

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat peanut oil in a large deep pot to 350°F (do not fill more than half full--you don't want a hot-oil spill-over accident!).
• For sauce mixture: in a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs with the water.
• Add hot sauce and whisk together well.
• Pour this mixture into a large plastic zip-top bag.
• For seasoning mixture: In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
• For dredging mixture: In a another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Rinse and pat dry chicken pieces with a paper towel.
• Cut breast pieces in half across ribs.
• Sprinkle chicken generously on both sides with seasoning blend.
• Drop a few chicken pieces of chicken into bag of sauce mixture and squish around to coat thoroughly.
• One piece at a time, roll chicken in flour mixture and drop into hot oil.
• Don't crowd chicken pieces--I cook about half the chicken at a time.
• Fry chicken until brown and crisp.
• Drain on paper toweling.
• Dark meat will take about 14 minutes, white meat about 10 minutes.
• Remember smaller pieces cook faster than the larger ones.
• You can check for doneness by piercing to the bone in the thickest part with a fork.
• If the juices run clear, it is done.

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Take your cut up chicken pieces and skin them if you prefer. Put the flour in a large plastic bag (let the amount of chicken you are cooking dictate the amount of flour you use). Season the flour with paprika, salt and pepper to taste (paprika helps to brown the chicken).
• Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk then, a few at a time, put them in the bag with the flour, seal the bag and shake to coat well. Place the coated chicken on a cookie sheet or tray, and cover with a clean dish towel or waxed paper. LET SIT UNTIL THE FLOUR IS OF A PASTE-LIKE CONSISTENCY. THIS IS CRUCIAL!
• Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot. Put in as many chicken pieces as the skillet can hold. Brown the chicken in HOT oil on both sides. When browned, reduce heat and cover skillet; let cook for 30 minutes (the chicken will be cooked through but not crispy). Remove cover, raise heat again and continue to fry until crispy.
• Drain the fried chicken on paper towels. Depending on how much chicken you have, you may have to fry in a few shifts. Keep the finished chicken in a slightly warm oven while preparing the rest.

PERFECT SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Soak chicken in water and salt at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Mix buttermilk, eggs and Season All and dip chicken pieces in this mixture.
• Combine 1 cup flour, 2 tbsp corn meal, 2 tsp dried oregano, and 2 tsp Season All in a bag.
• Drop two pieces of dipped chicken in the bag at one time.
• Shake to coat.
• Place on wire rack to rest.
• (I place wax paper under the rack to catch any flour that falls off.) Heat a shallow layer of oil or shortening to 360 F in a jumbo chicken skillet (cast iron is great for this job) or an electric skillet.
• Place the chicken in the pan, trying not to crowd the pieces.
• Cover for the first five minutes.
• Check the chicken.
• When golden brown, turn.
• Cover for the next five minutes.
• Remove cover and cook uncovered, turning occasionally, as needed for a total of an additional 20 minutes or until cooked through.
• Watch carefully, and don't allow it to get too dark.
• If it's frying too fast, reduce heat slightly.
• NOTE- the key is to cover in the beginning to start the cooking process inside the chicken, but to uncover during the last part of the cooking time to get the outside nice and crispy and golden brown.

PERFECT FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put buttermilk, 1/4 cup salt, and the hot sauce (if desired) in a large, airtight container. Add chicken pieces; turn to coat. Cover; refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Put flour, remaining 5 teaspoons salt, pepper, cayenne, and baking powder in a large resealable plastic bag. Shake vigorously.
• One at a time, place chicken pieces in bag, and shake to coat. Remove from bag, and shake off any excess. Transfer coated pieces to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Heat shortening (and bacon drippings, if desired) in two 10-inch cast-iron skillets over medium-low heat until it registers 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. (Alternatively, use one skillet and half the shortening and drippings, and cook in batches.) Using tongs, place thighs and drumsticks in skillets. Fry until undersides are dark golden, 10 to 14 minutes. Turn pieces over; cook until dark golden all over and an instantread thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 170 degrees, another 10 to 14 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack (clean the rack that held raw pieces before reusing it) set over a baking sheet. Transfer rack and sheet to oven to keep chicken warm.
• Remove any bits of coating left in skillets with a slotted spoon; discard. Repeat process to fry breasts and wings, 10 to 14 minutes per side (cook until an instantread thermometer inserted into the breast registers 170 degrees).

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, hot sauce (optional, for added flavor), salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add in chicken pieces. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours.
• When ready to cook, pour the vegetable oil in a skillet until it is about 3/4 inch deep. Heat to 350 degrees.
• Prepare the breading by combining the flour, cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, white pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt in a gallon sized resealable plastic bag or shallow dish. Mix it thoroughly.
• Working one at a time, remove chicken pieces from buttermilk mixture. Shake it gently to remove the excess. Place it in the breading mix and coat thoroughly. Tap off the excess.
• Place the breaded chicken into the 350 degree oil. Fry 3 or 4 pieces at a time. The chicken will drop the temperature of the oil so keep it as close to 350 degrees as possible. Fry each piece for 14 minutes, turning each piece about half way through, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• Remove from the oil and place on paper towels. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

EXTRA CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine milk and egg; mix well. Add chicken, coating completely. If the chicken breasts are huge, feel free to cut them in half. This way everything will cook evenly.
• In another large bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper; mix well. Remove chicken from milk mixture then place in flour mixture, coating completely.
• In a large deep skillet or soup pot over medium heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking (about 350 degrees F). Make sure the oil does not fill the pot more than 1/3 full. We recommend using a kitchen thermometer so the oil stays at the proper temperature.
• Carefully place chicken in oil and cook 20 to 22 minutes, or until coating is brown and chicken is no longer pink inside, turning once halfway through cooking. (See Note) Drain on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Serve immediately.

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Season the chicken pieces with Essence. Pour 2 cups of the buttermilk over the chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Place the chicken in the refrigerator and marinate for 1 hour.
• Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and drain. Season the flour with Essence. In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining buttermilk. Dredge each piece of chicken in the seasoned flour. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the chicken pieces back in the seasoned flour, coating each piece of the chicken completely. Carefully lay the chicken in the hot oil. Fry the chicken for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.