Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Classic Fried Chicken

Fried chicken in the middle of the week?!  Say what??

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
1 qt. buttermilk
10 chicken legs (or 1 3 1/2 - 4 lb. chicken cut into 10 pieces)
3 cups vegetable oil

In a large bowl whisk the buttermilk with 2 tbsps. salt and 3/4 pepper.  I also added a special chicken seasoning I had in my cupboard.

In a pie plate, combine the flour, cornstarch, 2 tsps. salt and  1/4 tsp. pepper.  Remove 1 1/4 cups flour and save in an airtight container.

Using tongs (unless you want to use your fingers and have a big sticky, mushy mess), dredge each chicken piece in the flour mixture

Place in buttermilk mixture and repeat with the rest of the chicken pieces.  Cover and store in refrigerator for 3 hours OR overnight.

Preheat oil to 350F degrees in a large cast iron skillet. Remove the chicken one piece at a time

and dredge in flour mixture.  Repeat with each chicken piece.  Set aside on wire rack placed over a cookie sheet.

Place four pieces at a time into 350F degree heated oil.

Fry for 8-10 minutes on each side.  I had to add another 5 minutes per side - it was probably because of my electric stove that I'm still trying to figure out.

Place on paper towels

Crunchy, juicy, tasty and savory fried chicken - yummmmmm!

Fried chicken in the middle of the week??  So when I get the hankering for something I just can't wait for the weekend.  Hubby was shocked too because it was fried food.  I have not fried chicken in years possibly even a decade.  I rarely fry food and the only fried food that comes close are hamburgers.

Our mom fried chicken every Sunday when we were little.  She would send us off to church which was only one block away so within walking distance.  After church, I remember this vividly -  walking a few houses before our house and already catching the lovely aromas of fried chicken coming from mom's kitchen.  What great memories.

I wish I had this recipe when my kids were small.  Back then it seems like I always had the oil too hot with the kitchen filling up with smoke and my chicken would either come out burned and always tasteless.

This chicken recipe is delicious!  Even hubby commented on how delicious it tasted.  I got it from Martha Stewart's website.  It comes with a video, check it out here:  http://www.marthastewart.com/852368/classic-fried-chicken

Have a blessed rest of the week and weekend!  Until next time,