Email to Cat      

Sweetie Pie's Fried Chicken

Source of Recipe

From "Sweetie Pie's Cookbook" by Robbie Montgomery


Recipe Introduction

"This is my mama's fried chicken recipe. Her secret to tender chicken was to marinate it in seasoned buttermilk. We had fried chicken about once a week, and now that I think back on it, it's amazing that one chicken fed all nine of us. Everyone had to pick a different piece each week to be fair. Some weeks I got a wing, which wasn't much meat, but if I was lucky, it was my turn to get a leg or, better yet, a breast. The breast was my favorite because it has the most meat, and I'm greedy. My mom served her fried chicken with creamed sweet peas and mashed potatoes."

List of Ingredients

◦  1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
◦  1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt
◦  2 teaspoons garlic powder
◦  1 teaspoon ground black pepper
◦  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
◦  2 cups buttermilk
◦  2½ cups all-purpose flour
◦  ½ teaspoon paprika
◦  2 cups vegetable oil


Recipe

Wash the chicken by putting it in a large bowl and rubbing 1 tablespoon of the salt all over it. Rinse under cold water, then transfer the chicken to another large bowl.

Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the remaining salt, 1 teaspoon of the garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of the black pepper, and the cayenne pepper. Add the buttermilk to the chicken and turn each piece so it is well coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, better yet, overnight.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1 teaspoon garlic powder, the remaining ½ teaspoon black pepper, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the paprika.

Take the chicken out of the refrigerator. One piece at a time, shake off excess buttermilk, dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, and place on a plate. For a crispier coating, you can dip each piece in the buttermilk and flour again. Once all the chicken is floured up, put the plate back in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large deep skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Drop a little flour in the skillet; if the flour bubbles hard, then the oil is ready.

Gently lay each piece of chicken in the skillet, leaving about ½ inch around each piece — don't crowd them. You may need to fry the chicken in two batches. Cover the pan and fry the chicken, lifting the cover and turning once, until both sides are golden brown, about 15 minutes per side. If you like your chicken a lighter brown, fry it for 8 to 10 minutes per side, then put the pieces on a baking sheet and finish it off in a preheated 350° F oven for 20 minutes.


Serves 4 to 6