Fried Chicken
I am not a big chicken fan but I absolutely will go crazy for juicy, salty, crunchy, fried chicken. I will try it anywhere that claims to make “The BEST”. Maybe it’s just because it pairs perfectly with champagne and if I am found eating fried chicken I am usually going to be drinking sparkling wine at the very least.
. This is something that takes a little bit of planning (due to the overnight brine) but is definitely worth the effort. The brine is key to making sure the chicken is juicy and full of flavor and perfectly seasoned flour and rice flour give it extra crunch!.
If you are frying the chicken in small batches preheat the oven so that once the chicken is cooked you can keep it on a baking sheet in the oven to keep it warm and all the chicken can be served together (if you are cooking for a large group).
Side note: if you are going through all the trouble of making this chicken you must enjoy it with some champagne. My sisters love this chicken with Franks Red Hot Sauce and hot honey btw. I don’t believe there is a wrong way to enjoy homemade fried chicken.
Ingredients:
2 cups hot water
3/4 cup salt
1/3 cup sugar
6-8 pounds of bone in chicken, this can be breast, thighs, legs
1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 TS smoked paprika
1 TS garlic powder
1/2 TS Onion powder
1.5 TS kosher salt
2 cups milk
Chicken Brine
2 cups hot water
3/4 cup salt
1/3 cup sugar
6-8 pounds of bone in chicken, this can be breast, thighs, legs
Dissolve sugar and salt into mixture and add 6 cups ice cold water. Once the salt and sugar are dissolved and the brine is cold, add chicken and leave in the fridge overnight..
Seasoned Flour
1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 TS smoked paprika
1 TS garlic powder
1/2 TS Onion powder
1.5 TS kosher salt
Whisk all ingredients in a large bowl, set aside. Place 2 cups of milk in a separate bowl and set aside.
Directions
Once the chicken has brined overnight, remove the chicken from the brining liquid.
Next, dip the chicken in the bowl of milk and then coat chicken in the seasoned flour, shake off any excess. Set coated pieces on a baking sheet and continue until all the chicken is coated.
Now, you have a decision to make, a single coating or a double coating for extra crispy fried chicken. It is entirely personal preference. I’ll often do two batches depending on what the crowd wants. Make a second batch of flour if you are planning on coating the chicken twice
If your desire is extra crunchy, dip the pieces that you just coated in flour in milk again, and repeat coating the pieces in the seasoned flour once again.
Once all the chicken is coated to your liking prepare the oil. The chicken benefits from sitting with the coating on it. The coating will stick better to the chicken if it sits for about 20 mins, perfect time to heat the oil and get your thermometers ready!
Use a large pot or dutch oven to heat about 8 quarts of vegetable or peanut oil to 350 degrees. Carefully drop chicken into oil and monitor temperature of the oil. Depending on the size of the chicken it will take some time to cook through (anywhere from 10-12 mins). Rotate chicken to make sure it is evenly golden brown. Use a meat thermometer and fry the chicken until the thickest part reaches 165 degrees.
