Emily's Fried Chicken

My daughter in law offered to make us a Fried Chicken Dinner last Sunday for supper.  Because my track record with frying chicken has never been stellar, I happily agreed.  She provided us with an amazing meal.  She graciously agreed to be Guest Blogger and share her recipe.

Without further ado, I will turn the blog post over to Emily!

Some of my earliest memories of my Grandmother involved her cooking fried chicken. I remember her shooing me out of the kitchen so she could do her work- careful not to overcook it, and never divulging the secret of what made it taste so satisfying. When we finally sat down at the table together, instead of talking, we were all in awe of the delicacy before us! She had shared her love for us through a delicious meal!

In my honest opinion, eating a meal of fried chicken with Southern vegetables is the equivalent of a warm hug from a friend or family member you haven't seen in a while. This recipe is sure to bring you back to those days in your own Grandma's kitchen!

Marrying into the Fleur de Lolly family meant I had to up my "A Game" in the kitchen, so when Sweet Spouse said he wanted fried chicken, I knew I had my work cut out for me! I tried cooking mine in several skillets before realizing seasoned cast iron skillets help deliver the best flavor. Make sure your oil isn't too hot! I try to keep the temperature around 350 degrees so that it is nice and golden brown! The secret to the seasoning is to make sure you let it marinate in the buttermilk bath at least 6 hours. I usually will have it in the fridge ready to go for dinner after work, but if you are running short on time (or just impatient!) you can set it out on the counter for 2 hours to help speed up the process. The longer the marinade time, the better the flavor! Because I have two small kiddos (and bones gross them out!), we usually cook chicken breast tenderloins, but definitely feel free to use any chicken cuts you'd like! Sweet Spouse prefers boneless skinless thighs.

BUTTERMILK SOAK

4 Pounds of Chicken (Bone-in cuts or tenderloins)

1 Quart of Buttermilk

1 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder

1 Tablespoon of Onion Powder

1 Tablespoon of Salt

1 Tablespoon of Black Pepper

1/2 Tablespoon of Cayenne

Stir all those yummy seasonings together, and then add your chicken of choice and make sure they are completely submerged in the mixture. Refrigerate for 6 hours, or leave out for 2 hours at room temperature to marinate.

FLOUR MIXTURE

3 cups of All Purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon of Onion Powder

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne

After the chicken has had a proper bath, mix up the flour mixture in a separate bowl (or large Zip-Loc Storage bag). Add the chicken one piece at a time, making sure to completely dredge the flour onto the chicken. Place the coated chicken on a wire rack as you work through dredging the remaining pieces of chicken. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet (I used Lolly's chicken fryer for this batch!) and heat oil to 350 degrees. Working in small batches, cook chicken, and then place on a wire rack to rest as you cook the remaining pieces of chicken. This, like most good things, takes time! Remember, as you prepare this, your loved ones who will feast like Kings and Queens! (And lovingly remind them that you cooked, and it's their turn to clean the kitchen!)

Voila!

Dinner is served.