Fried Chicken
Basic Fried Chicken
Author: The Blue Jean Chef, Meredith Laurence
Ingredients
- 1 chicken (approximately 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
- 2 cups buttermilk
- hot sauce (optional)
- 1½ cups flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 pound shortening
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into 8 pieces and then submerge them in the buttermilk (with a little hot sauce if desired). A zipper sealable plastic bag works well for this.
- Let the chicken soak in the buttermilk in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or even overnight.
- Mix the flour, salt and spices in another zipper sealable bag.
- Put four chicken pieces in the bag and shake around to coat. Remove from the bag, shaking off any excess flour, and let it rest on a cooling rack at room temperature. Repeat with the remaining four pieces of chicken.
- Heat the shortening in a 12-inch heavy bottomed sauté pan. Bring the shortening to about 350 ̊F. You can use a deep-frying or candy thermometer for this. Otherwise, just dip a part of one piece of chicken in the oil when you think it is ready-it should bubble rapidly around the chicken.
- Place the chicken pieces in the oil and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat slightly and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Then, remove the lid and flip the chicken pieces over. Cook for another 10 minutes uncovered. When the chicken is done, drain the chicken on a clean cooling rack and serve.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 4
