Fried Chicken

[Redneckinthecity]

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. 



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).

[squirtthecat]

Tasty!

[SL2010]

looks good you got a deep fryer or was that done in skillet

[Redneckinthecity]

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.

[squirtthecat]

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.

[SL2010]

That's how my grand mother did it as well i bought an oster counter top fryer it does the job

[TestRocket]

Fried chicken is a true comfort food! Yum, yum!