Southern Fried Chicken (paprika, pepper, garlic powder, best)

[nomoresnow]

Please forgive this ol' Yankee gal, but I have a question. One of the :ladies of the pool" asked me if I would see if I could find for her a recipe for "genuine" Southern Fried Chicken. Now, I don't mind looking for her, but I need to know what makes it "genuine". She couldn't tell me, because she's a silly Northerner herself!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[yankeegirl313]

I am from the North (yankee) but now live in the South.
I don`t know if this is the Northern way, or the Southern way, but I roll my chicken in flour with salt and pepper added.
I turn my skillet on medium, and let it cook, without opening the lid, or turning them for 45 minites. Turn, and let finish cooking on the other side, then...wall-a! Crispy fried chicken everytime!

[Padgett2]

"Genuine" usually means that it's like what we remember our grandmothers doing. It's simple. The chicken is floured, salt and peppered. Then it's fried in hot grease. The only trick is getting the oil hot enough to cook a crust on the meat without burning. That takes a little practice. The meat cooks, and doesn't dry out.

If the recipe calls for any other seasoning besides salt and pepper, it's not genuine.

Some old timey recipes call for putting a lid on the pan after the crust is formed. Not everyone likes to do that as it makes a soggy crust. I want mine crispy.

[nomoresnow]

I did some research in my cookbooks and one mentioned dredging the chicken in flour, then buttermilk, then flour again. Sound right? Or just the flour w/ the salt & pepper, no buttermilk?

Thanks, folks. I appreciate the help.

[mrstewart]

OK, mix all purpose flour, some salt, a dash of red pepper and some pepper. mix well

Put some buttermilk in a bowl and dip the COLD raw chicken in the milk and then dip in the flour mixture.

Fry em up!!! mmmmm.......

[nomoresnow]

Thanks, mrstewart. I'll pass all your thoughts onto my friend.

[newtoutah]

And use crisco shortening....not oil. It is truly southern that way. Well lard was the traditional way, but I dont know where to get that anymore. I grew up with it and it is getting the crisco hot and using only s&p and flour.

[Beretta]

Ok, I am southern and my lineage has been southern up until we trace it back to Scotland and Ireland. Here's how my family has made it for the last 4 generations. If you add my kids it's 5 generations. First you take the chicken (this is for one chicken, cut up) and you mix up 1/2 cup of kosher salt and 2 quarts of ice cold water. Don't use a reactive bowl. You place the chicken in the salt water overnight in the fridge. Next day, pour water out and place chicken on a plate. Then, take a quart of buttermilk, do not use low fat, and place the chicken and the buttermilk in a different bowl and let that soak overnight in the fridge. Let chicken sit out from the fridge for at least 30 minutes prior to dredging and frying. I like to go about an hour. Then pour the buttermilk out and place chicken on a plate. You can speed that up by brining overnight and then soaking in buttermilk all day if you are going to do a dinner meal. Make sure each step gets about 8 hours in the fridge. Let chicken sit out from the fridge for at least 30 minutes prior to dredging and frying. I like to go about an hour.

Then, you get ready to dredge and fry. Make sure your chicken pieces are still wet for this part. I grew up using an electric skillet as you could really tell the temp, but now I just wing it (no pun intended, lol). You want to mix up your flour mixture. You should use at least a cup of flour, a little bit of corn starch and your seasonings to suit you. I use at least one tsp of salt and pepper each. Now some people don't like pepper but we do, you may want to cut the pepper down to 1/2 tsp. Depending on whose eating I will add paprika and garlic powder, but not always. Mix all that together good and then dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mix and place on a place. Get your skillet hot and I have used lard, crisco and vegetable oil all. It really is personal preference. Whatever I use I add a couple of heaping spoonfuls of bacon grease from the reserve in the fridge. Get that very hot, usually around 335 to 340 degrees. Do not place chicken into the skillet until the grease is HOT. Wear an apron and long sleeves and have your tongs ready. Place the chicken in the hot skillet. It will pop and hiss. Be prepared for that. Completely normal. For one chicken I usually have to fry two batches. Ok, so fry the one side for about 10 minutes straight. Then, turn all of the pieces over and fry about 8 more minutes. Take the chicken out piece by piece and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Place this in the oven, warming drawer, etc. and fry the next batch. Chicken done this way is good hot or cold.

[buckhead]

SMOKYMTNGAL has pretty much nailed it...that is the way I do it and the way my family does it. I do double dredge and use minimal seasonings. The key is the brining and the soaking in buttermilk...the briningto draw out blood, and add moisture and plumpness, and the soaking in buttermilk to add additional flavor and moisture retention. The cornstarch gives the crust a little extra crispness and crackle. I will sometimes cook the chicken partially covered if I want the crust a bit softer...some folks just like it that way. The type of grease used IS a matter of personal preference and availability, but I also enjoy adding some bacon grease or maybe a bit of butter for some additional flavor notes. The key is that the oil has to be kept at the proper temperature...high enough to set the crust without burning...allowing the grease to return to proper temperature between batches. I prefer cast iron but other utensils will work...the crumbs and "stickings" are the basis for a great cream gravy.

[nomoresnow]

Thank you all so much for your tips and recipes. They all sound so good, I may have to make it! You guys are the best.