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American Fried Chicken

American Fried Chicken

I am telling you, when you fry this chicken, it’s gonna fill your home with such an amazing aroma, Colonel Sanders will be summoned for dinner. So set an extra place setting.

You’ll Need:

  • 2 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
  • 2 Tablespoons Salt
  • 8 pieces of Chicken
  • 3 Cups of Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Hot Paprika
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Dry Thyme
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Dry Sage
  • 1 Quart of Canola Oil

Directions:

  1.  Preheat your oven to 200F.
  2. Combine 2 cups of the buttermilk with the salt and stir to dissolve. Put the Chicken and the buttermilk mixture into a ziplock bag for one hour.
  3. In a bowl, add the flour, baking powder and the dry herbs. To that mixture mix in the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk.
  4. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, one piece at a time, and fully coat the chicken.
  5. We will fry the chicken in 2 batches, so only dredge 1/2 of the chicken at this time. Use your hands to press the flour mixture into the chicken. It should look shaggy, with clumps of flour mixture. Those clumps will create an amazing crust when fried.
  6. Add one inch of oil to a cast iron pan or Dutch oven and heat the oil to 375F. While the oil is heating, put a wire rack onto a baking sheet. This is what you will use to drain and rest the chicken. We use this method because it allows air to circulate around the chicken so all sides of it are crunchy.
  7. Once your oil has hit 375 degrees and is stabilized at that temperature put the first batch of chicken into the oil, skin side down, and cover with a lid. Cook for four minutes.
  8. Remove the lid and cook for four more minutes. The oil should be around 300F at this stage.
  9. Flip the chicken over and fry for eight more minutes. Do not let the oil get hotter than 320F. The Chicken is cooked when it is 165F.
  10. Remove the chicken from the oil to the cooling rack and put into the oven while you prepare the next batch.
  11. Repeat this process with the second batch.
  12. When all the chicken is cooked, let it rest for 10 minutes before eating.

Tips:

  1. If you want to marinade longer then reduce the amount of salt. So, 2 hours would be 1 Tablespoon salt.
  2. Usually people drain fried foods on paper towels. The part of the fried food that is resting on the paper towel will begin to steam and get soggy. That is why we use the cooling rack instead.
  3. If possible use one thermometer to measure the oil temperature and another thermometer to test for doneness.
  4. Just like with steak, it is important to let the chicken rest before eating. It will ensure that the meat is very juicy.
  5. Strain your cooled frying oil and use it again.

Daniel Mancini

 

 

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