So redneck kid#1 and redneck kid #2 are headed off for summer camps this week. Their mama offered a 'going away dinner' of their choice and they settled on fried chicken. I'm the designated frier at our house, so this is the result.
(http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz146/redneckinthecity/IMG_1081.jpg)
Basically followed the Cooks Illustrated recipe.
Brined in garlic, salt and buttermilk brine for 3 hours. Air dry for 2, then a flour, buttermilk and baking powder/soda dip, and more flour.
If you follow the recipe from CI, I'd recommend cutting back on the salt (they call for 1.5 c of salt for 7 c of buttermilk. I'd start at 1, and maybe just 3/4).
Tasty!
looks good you got a deep fryer or was that done in skillet
I used a pot with a frier basket on a propane burner outside. You don't have to worry about the mess or heating up the house so bad (was 96+ here yesterday), but bad news was cooking outside.
My grandmother fried chicken in about 3/4 inch of oil in a cast iron skillet. Started it with the lid on (as did I with about 1.5 inches in my pot) and finished with lid off. I used peanut oil because it tolerates the heat, but I'm sure she used lard. Cottonseed oil is also very heat tolerant, but hard to get up here.
Here is a buttermilk brine to try next time... I've done wings, drumsticks and turkey legs in it prior to smoking.
Brine overnight.
4 cups buttermilk
¼ cup kosher salt
½ cup Crystal* hot sauce
½ cup L&P Worcestershire sauce
1 1/3 T garlic powder
1 1/3 T cumin
1 1/3 T black pepper
1 1/3 T rubbed** sage
1 1/2 T cayenne pepper
* I use Crystal as it seems to have a lower vinegar content, so it doesn't "pre-cook" the food as much as Frank's. The buttermilk has a high enough acid content as it is.
** This seems to blend easier. Bought it by accident, won't get anything else but it now.
I dump it all - in that order - into the blender. Run at the lowest speed for about a minute or so to get all of the mixes interspersed into the thick buttermilk.
That's how my grand mother did it as well i bought an oster counter top fryer it does the job
Fried chicken is a true comfort food! Yum, yum!