Crispy Fried Chicken

First things first…

This is not the first time I tried to do the best Fried Chicken. This is, however, the first time I succeed in making it the crispiest. What I did was combine two recipes; one from “Bon Appétit” Magazine (I highly recommend you subscribe) and from “Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen” Feel free to experiment on your favorite and let me know how it turned out.

Stuff you need:

Shallow frying pan - Some recipes call for a deep dish but both Bon Appetit and MSSK suggested a cast iron so you can cook both sides evenly without burning your chicken

Deep-fry Thermometer - I cannot stretch this enough - YOU NEED A THERMOMETER not only for the oil but also to check that the chicken is completely cooked on the inside.

Ingredients:

6 Skin-on Chicken Pieces - Let’s not kid ourselves, we all want a drumstick, just buy your favorite chicken pieces

1 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour

1/3 cup of cornstarch

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tbsp Onion Powder

1 tbsp Garlic Powder

1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper ( I skipped the paprika because I didn’t have any, but the original recipe calls for 1 tbsp Paprika and 1 tsp Cayenne)

1 tbsp Chilli Powder or Chilli flakes

1 tbsp white pepper

2 Large eggs

3 Cups Buttermilk (Substitute with regular milk and 2 tbsp of White Vinegar for every cup of milk)

2 tbsp Alcohol (recipe calls for bourbon, I used Brandy, you can also use vodka) OPTIONAL

3 tbsp Tabasco Sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

Let’s do this:

The Night Before: Season chicken with salt and pepper, generously. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and cover with 2 cups of Buttermilk. Cover and let rest for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. I did overnight. Turn the chicken once.

2 hours before frying: Uncover the chicken and let rest. (Cooking a very cold chicken may affect the crispiness, let it get to room temperature) Discard buttermilk. On a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper, cornstarch and 1 tbsp of salt. Mix well. On a different bowl, whisk eggs, one cup buttermilk, brandy (if using) and Tabasco sauce.

Prepare a coating station - Working one piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour, then buttermilk mixture, then flour again. (You can use tongs, but I find that coating the chicken with your hands makes the flour stick better) Let the chicken rest for at least 35-45 minutes. Coat again with flour if necessary.

Frying - Using your thermometer, pour oil in a frying pan and let it reach 355F and maintain that temperature. Fry chicken working in 2-3 batches (remember the more chicken you fry, the more your oil temperature will fall making it harder for the crust to fry and your chicken to cook inside) Each side will take 8-11 minutes. Continue checking the temperature of your oil but also VERY IMPORTANT, the temperature inside your chicken. You will know your chicken is completely cooked once it reaches 165*F (make sure to not hit the bone)

Rest - Many recipes call for your chicken to rest on a paper towel after frying it. DO NOT PLACE YOUR CHICKEN ON A PAPER TOWEL - Rest your chicken on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet for at last 25 minutes. This will allow your crust to become crispy and hold the juices in.

Serve - Serve your chicken with some Coleslaw and Mashed potatoes. Enjoy with all the family!

If you want to try something extra to make it hot, add 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1 tbsp onion, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp cayenne pepper, and 1 tbsp of chilli flakes to 1 cup of hot frying oil and glaze your chicken before serving with it.

(PS. even cold this chicken holds an amazing crust! Make sure to store in a seal tight container)

Remember to add me on Instagram @Natisinthekitchen and let me know how it turned out!