Fried chicken makes a perfect dish for a dinner. While there are a number of restaurants selling perfect fried chicken, making your own at home is also very simple. The key in making a tender, juicy inside and a crispy crust lies in coating the marinated chicken perfectly, and in the temperature of the oil when frying.
Garlic (cloves peeled and smacked) - 2 medium heads
Thyme or rosemary, or both, (crushed in your palms) - 2-3 sprigs
Buttermilk - 1 cup
For flour dip -
All-purpose flour - 2 cups
Salt - 1 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Onion powder - 1 tsp
Paprika - 1 tsp
For Buttermilk dip -
Buttermilk - 2 cup
Egg - 1 large
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Onion powder - 1 tsp
3 cups peanut oil or shortening - for frying
Instructions
Put the salt, sugar and garlic cloves in the working bowl of the food processor and process until the ingredients form a paste, but you still have a few chunks of garlic.
Transfer the paste to a large mixing bowl and stir in buttermilk and the herbs (rosemary and thyme).
Mix the batter well and add chicken pieces to it, making sure that the chicken is completely immersed.
Place a lid on the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
After two hours, remove the chicken from the marinade and set it in a single layer on a wire rack covered with a cookie sheet.
Again, refrigerate the chicken pieces for a couple of hours, this time uncovered, to allow the chicken to air dry.
Combine all the dry ingredients; flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and paprika, in a large bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder and onion powder.
Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Now take the marinated chicken pieces and dredge them in the flour mixture, one at a time; then, shake off the extra flour and return to the rack.
Now dip the chicken pieces in the buttermilk, then again in the flour, and then set on the wire rack in a single layer, allowing them to sit there for 10 to 15 minutes.
While the chicken is setting, pour three cups of peanut oil in a deep pan and heat over medium high heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Also, preheat the oven to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place two to three chicken pieces at a time in the hot oil and fry until the crust is crisp and nicely golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
Once done, transfer the chicken pieces to a plate lined with several layers of paper towel.
Now pop the fried chicken pieces on the rack in a slow oven - leave in for around 3-4 minutes, and then serve hot with your favourite dip or sauce.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 119 Fat: 6.79 g Saturated fat: 1.676 g Carbohydrates: 0 g Sugar: 0 g Sodium: 211 mg Fiber: 0 g Protein: 13.6 g Cholesterol: 56 mg
Recipe by at https://www.stepbystep.com/how-to-cook-perfect-fried-chicken-106374/