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The Perfect Fried Chicken




Source of Recipe


lhj.com






List of Ingredients



• 1 chicken (3 1/2 to 3 3/4 lbs)
  
• 1 cup buttermilk
  
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
  
• 1 tsp bottled hot pepper sauce
  
• 1 cup flour
  
• 2 tsp paprika
  
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 cups vegetable shortening
  






Instructions



1. Cut up chicken into 8 pieces, then cut each chicken breast in half crosswise.
   
2. Combine buttermilk, 1/2 tsp of the salt and the hot pepper sauce in a large 2-gallon resealable plastic storage bag; add chicken. Seal bag and turn chicken with buttermilk mixture to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight, turning bag over once.
   
3. Combine flour, paprika, pepper and remaining 1 tsp salt in pie plate or shallow dish. Work with several pieces of chicken at time: Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture, shaking off excess. Add to flour mixture, turning to coat evenly. Transfer pieces to wire rack. Repeat process with remaining chicken; let stand 30 minutes.
   
4. Meanwhile, heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with double layer of paper towels. Heat shortening in 10" cast iron skillet over medium heat, until temperature reaches 360 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Add several pieces of chicken, skin sides down. Cover skillet and cook until bottoms of pieces are lightly golden, 5 minutes. Turn pieces and cook, covered (adjusting heat to medium-low to maintain a 275 to 300 degree temperature), 7 to 10 minutes more for white meat, 12 to 15 minutes for dark meat, turning pieces every 4 to 5 minutes until deep-golden and cooked through. Drain pieces on paper towels; transfer to baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Repeat process, cooking remaining chicken. Serve with coleslaw and biscuits, if desired.
   






Final Comments


Makes 5 servings (2 pieces each).