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Sitty's Fried Chicken

Source of Recipe

From "Southern Living: A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen"


Recipe Introduction

"My grandmother Sitty's secret recipe for fried chicken is all about the dredge, which uses basic seasoning, flour, and water. Simplicity is the key — after all, the star of the show is the chicken. Mama said that my grandfather, Giddy, who was a butcher by trade, taught Sitty that the best chickens were those that weighed around 3 pounds. These days, it's almost impossible to find a chicken that size, so opt for a free-range or organic chicken because those birds are usually the perfect size. Preparing the chicken in the following manner will yield a very thin, crisp coating and juicy, tender chicken beneath. Sitty's secret is finally out."

List of Ingredients

◦  1 (3-pound) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
◦  2 teaspoons kosher salt
◦  1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
◦  1 cup all-purpose flour
◦  Peanut oil


Recipe

Rinse chicken with cold water, and pat dry. Place chicken in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper, tossing to coat. Sprinkle flour and ½ cup water over chicken; toss chicken with flour mixture, using fingers to rub flour paste into skin until thoroughly coated. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill 1 to 24 hours.

Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch into a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Heat oil over medium heat to 350° F.

Fry drumsticks and thighs in hot oil, bone sides down, 8 minutes. (Increase heat for first few minutes, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature at 350° F.) Carefully turn chicken, rotating pieces away from your body; fry 8 more minutes or until browned and desired degree of doneness. Remove chicken, and transfer to a wire rack over paper towels. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken pieces (breast and wings), reducing frying time to 7 minutes on each side.


Serves 4


Note:
Tested with White Lily Enriched Bleached All-Purpose Flour