Fried Chicken
Tip: You will need an instant-read meat thermometer.
Tip: Do not drain your cooked chicken on paper towels. Instead, prepare a
paper-towel lined cookie sheet in advance and place wire racks over them.
Tip: Do not move your chicken before it is ready to flip, or you’ll lose your
breading.
INGREDIENTS:
• A whole cut-up chicken with skin
• ¼ cup kosher salt
• Chicken seasoned breading mix (Sylvia says any will do, I used House Autry)
• Vegetable or peanut Oil
• Large heavy frying pan (I used non-stick. I did not use a cast iron skillet.)
DIRECTIONS:
Wash cut up chicken well.
Fill Dutch oven half-full of water and dissolve ¼ cup Kosher Salt in water.
Add chicken to Dutch oven, then add enough water to completely cover chicken.
Cover with lid and refrigerate overnight.
Drain the chicken and pat dry.
Roll each piece of chicken in breading mix. Repeat. Let breaded chicken sit for
at least 10 minutes before cooking.
Add ½” to ¾” of oil to pan and heat to 350-400 degrees. (I don’t have an oil
thermometer, so I just added a pinch of breading to the skillet to make sure it
sizzled nicely before I added my chicken.)
Note from Carol: I am starting with chicken breasts since they are the largest
pieces and since I specifically asked Sylvia how long to cook them:
Using tongs, place chicken breasts bone side down in your 300–400-degree heated
oil. (Tip from Carol: Watch the heat, don’t let it cook too quickly or too
slowly. Adjust heat as needed. I discovered while cooking on my gas stove, that
letting the oil sizzle up around the middle edge of each piece was perfect. Not
too brisk though because it will burn on the outside without cooking the inside.
Not too slow because it will take too long to cook, and the skin won’t crisp
up.)
DO NOT move the chicken until you are ready to turn it for the first time or you
will lose your breading! Per Sylvia, let the chicken breasts cook for about 10
minutes before you flip them for the first time. Cook for 10 minutes on the
other side and then flip and cook for an additional 6 to 10 minutes. Total
cooking time for a large breast: about 30 minutes. Less for smaller breasts and
smaller pieces of chicken. Go for that golden brown color and don’t forget to
use that instant read thermometer!)
Remove chicken when it reaches an inside temperature of 160 degrees to 165
degrees.
Place cooked chicken on wire racks over cookie sheet to drain.
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