Buttermilk Breaded Fried Chicken
6 pieces
I have NEVER deep fried chicken at home before, only when I worked at a fast food restaurant 26 years ago. I don’t know why I have never done it. I will certainly do it again, because that chicken was incredible. The coating was crisp and crunchy, but it did not all fall off with the first bite and the meat was tender and juicy.
6 pieces of chicken (I used skin-on thighs and drumsticks)
Seasoning of choice (I used Penzey’s Salt Free 33rd and Galena Chicken and Pork Rub)
1 cup buttermilk (I used low fat version)
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon corn starch (increases the crispiness of the breading)
Seasoning of choice (I used garlic and onion powder, and black pepper)
Oil for frying
- Season the chicken and let sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
- Pour buttermilk into medium bowl and add egg. Whisk together.
- Put flour, corn starch and seasoning into a shallow dish.
- With your left hand, pick up one piece of chicken and coat with buttermilk mix. Lay it on the flour.
- With your right hand, toss the chicken until it is completely coated with flour mix. Remove to a clean plate. (I really don’t care which hand dips into the buttermilk and which does the flour, but if you keep your hands separate, it won’t be a messy.)
- Preheat the oil in a deep kettle or stock pot. I used a large cast iron Dutch oven outside on the side burner of my grill. You want the oil to be 375F. If you have one, use a thermometer. How much oil depends on the size of the pan, but you need at least an inch of oil.
- When it is hot, carefully place 3-4 pieces into the oil, or as many that will fit leaving room between them.
- Turn them when they begin to get golden brown (3-5 minutes). Let the second side cook an equivalent time and remove to a cooling rack to let excess oil drip off.
- Serve! It goes well with a full bodied beer.
The side dish is simply a butternut squash, peeled and cubed, with fresh green bean. I sauteed the squash in a tablespoon oil tossing frequently until just starting to get brown. Then I added the green beans (I didn’t measure or weight. Use at many as you want.) Again, toss frequently, and serve when the beans are hot.Nutritional data: per piece of chicken, with the skin onCalories: 270Fat: 16.5gSat fat: 2.6gChol: 115.6mgSodium: 96mgCarbs: 7.7gFiber: 0.5gProtein: 22gNote: Use that nutritional data with a “grain of salt.” Every piece of chicken can be a different size. If you remove the skin before eating, you will get less fat and cholesterol. If you use a salted spice, you will have more sodium. This recipe is more about how to do it, rather than about the exact end result.
