Fried Chicken by Carla Hall

Fried Chicken is this month’s Crazy Cooking Challenge. Yum! My mind wanders back to my youth when I think of fried chicken. My grandmother was from Tennessee, and she used to cook lunch for the family every Sunday. Fried chicken, white cornbread, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and biscuits are all served with fried chicken.

They selected a date and challenged each other to a fried chicken cook-off. Carla’s recipe triumphed in the end, and I’ve had my eye on it for the past 6 months. Let’s get this frying started!

Fried Chicken by Carla Hall

Ingredients
a dry rub
1 tablespoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon powdered garlic
1 tablespoon powdered onion
paprika, 3/4 tablespoon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/2 to 3 hours a half-pound of chicken, sliced into ten pieces (breasts cut in half)
3 eggs to fry
1 gallon buttermilk

2 cup of water
1 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose)
cornstarch (2 tblsp.)
seasoning with salt and pepper
To fry, use peanut oil 2 1/2 cups shortening is what I’m using.
Instructions

Combine salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and red pepper in a small bowl.
In a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, combine half of the spice blend, chicken pieces, and remaining spice blend. Shake the bag to coat the chicken. Refrigerate for at least one night. I didn’t have time to let my chicken rest overnight, so I shook it and fried it straight away.

In a big saucepan over medium high heat, melt shortening; Carla like her oil at 360 degrees F.
Combine eggs, buttermilk, and water in a medium mixing basin. Combine flour and cornstarch in a small bowl.
Each piece of chicken should be dipped into the buttermilk mixture first, then into the flour mixture; the chicken should be fully coated.
3 to 4 minutes each side, fry chicken until golden brown.

Notes on the Recipe
Although my chicken wasn’t fully cooked, the breading superb. On a wire rack set over a baking sheet, I roasted my chicken for 9 minutes at 450 degrees F.