Directions:
An all time favourite that you don’t have to live in the south to enjoy.
- Soak your chicken in some lightly salted water overnight in the fridge, or at least 4 hours.
- Take some flour and season it with salt and fresh ground pepper. If you like, you may add a little bit of cornmeal to this as well for a slightly different crunch.
- Pat the chicken dry and dip it in some buttermilk or milk.
- Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour and pat the chicken so it will hold as much flour as possible. Shake off the excess flour and place the chicken pieces on a baking pan.
- Let the chicken sit in the fridge for at least an hour. You can do this in the morning for tonight. This will allow the flour to get wet and sticky. This is important because when you dip the chicken in the hot oil, it will immediately form a crunchy skin that keeps the moisture and flavour in, and the grease out.
- Using a skillet or cast iron fryer, heat up some vegetable oil or lard, (lard will give you a better flavour and crunch, and it is not as bad as some say it is for you). Heat this to 325 degrees. Use a thermometer to check your oil temperature, you can also use it to temp your chicken to see if it is ready.
- Carefully place the chicken in the hot oil and cook for about 8-10 minutes. Turn the chicken over to ensure even cooking and colour and cook it for another 6-8 minutes. If you have a lid for your pan, cook with it on. This will reduce cooking time by a couple of minutes, and make for a cleaner stovetop.
- Check the chicken with a thermometer. You want the breasts to be at least 165, and legs 175 at the thickest part. Don’t let the thermometer touch a bone.
- Place the chicken on a paper towel lined pan and hold in the oven at 145 while you cook the next round of chicken if needed.
- Enjoy the crispiest, juiciest chicken ever.
|
