Boron Elgar said:One of the kids has requested deep fried chicken and though I have
made dredged Southern fried, I have never used a batter or the deep
fryer for it.
If anyone has a tried and true batter recipe, I'd appreciate it. And
shucks...if the kitchen is going to be a mess anyway, will the same
batter server for onion rings, too?
Boron
If you have a cast iron chicken fryer, this is thee template recipe for
deep fried chicken:
Southern Fried Chicken----
This recipe is simple, delicious, and easy to make. Just be sure to make
enough for dinner and still have a few pieces leftover — as delicious as
fried chicken is straight from the pan, it's even better cold the next day.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: About 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (2 pieces each)
3 pounds chicken pieces
1-1/2 cups buttermilk or milk
Salt and pepper
Paprika
About 1 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
Peanut oil or shortening to fill skillet 1-inch deep
1. Wash the chicken pieces and pat dry.
2. Dip the chicken pieces in milk and then lay them on wax paper.
Sprinkle both sides of the pieces with salt, pepper, and paprika and
then dredge them in the flour. Let the chicken stand for 20 minutes and
dredge in flour again.
3. While the chicken is resting, heat the oil or shortening in a deep
cast-iron skillet or a Dutch oven on medium-high heat to 375 degrees F.
(The oil will be hot but not smoking.) Use an instant-read thermometer
to test the temperature now and throughout cooking.
4. Add 4 to 5 pieces of chicken to the skillet, browning both sides. Be
careful not to add so much chicken at one time that the oil temperature
drops significantly. Turn and move the chicken as necessary to ensure
even browning. (Use tongs so that you don't pierce the meat.)
5. Move the chicken to a platter to allow room for the next 4 or 5
pieces. Add the next 4 to 5 pieces of chicken and cook until all are brown.
6. When the second batch of chicken is about brown, return all chicken
to the skillet, reduce the heat to low or medium-low and cover. At this
point, stacking the chicken in the skillet may be necessary. Cook slowly
and gently for about 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Check several
times and turn or move the pieces as necessary to keep all the chicken
browned evenly.
7. Remove the cover and return the heat to medium-high to re-crisp the
chicken, about 5 minutes after the skillet is hot again. While
re-crisping, watch the chicken carefully and turn the pieces so that all
sides are crisp, taking care not to burn the bottom pieces of chicken.
8. Drain and move to a serving platter or place on a rack in the oven to
keep warm.