Ellens Crispy Fried Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Take your cut up chicken pieces and skin them if you prefer. Put the flour in a large plastic bag (let the amount of chicken you are cooking dictate the amount of flour you use). Season the flour with paprika, salt and pepper to taste (paprika helps to brown the chicken).
• Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk then, a few at a time, put them in the bag with the flour, seal the bag and shake to coat well. Place the coated chicken on a cookie sheet or tray, and cover with a clean dish towel or waxed paper. LET SIT UNTIL THE FLOUR IS OF A PASTE-LIKE CONSISTENCY. THIS IS CRUCIAL!
• Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot. Put in as many chicken pieces as the skillet can hold. Brown the chicken in HOT oil on both sides. When browned, reduce heat and cover skillet; let cook for 30 minutes (the chicken will be cooked through but not crispy). Remove cover, raise heat again and continue to fry until crispy.
• Drain the fried chicken on paper towels. Depending on how much chicken you have, you may have to fry in a few shifts. Keep the finished chicken in a slightly warm oven while preparing the rest.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Roughly chop 1 bunch rosemary, sage and thyme, 5 of the bay leaves and the 3 garlic cloves. Add to a bowl, and mix with the olive oil, 3 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons pepper. Rub the birds with the herb mixture so it sticks to the skin. Transfer the chickens to a roasting pan.
• Roast for 2 1/2 hours, or until the temperature between the breast and thigh near the bone registers 150 degrees F. At this stage the chickens are 75-percent cooked. Set aside to cool.
• When cool enough to handle, break down the birds into 10 pieces each, with the breasts boneless and halved. You will end up with a wing, leg, thigh and 2 pieces breast meat per half chicken.
• In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, hot sauce and sugar. Submerge the chicken pieces in the buttermilk and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Fill a large, heavy pot with grapeseed oil to a depth of 3 inches. Turn the heat on, and add the remaining bunches rosemary, sage and thyme, the remaining 5 bay leaves and the head of garlic, broken into cloves. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. The herbs and garlic will crisp up and perfume the oil as it comes to temperature. Once they are crispy, remove them to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside--they will serve as a garnish for the finished dish.
• In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, rice flour, garlic powder, onion powder, 1/3 cup salt and 1/4 cup black pepper; mix thoroughly. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk (do not dry) and coat well in the flour mixture.
• Without over-crowding the pot, fry the breaded chicken until all the pieces are golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a clean kitchen cloth and season with flaked salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Line a serving platter with a paper bag, brown parchment paper or a clean napkin. Pile the chicken onto the platter. Serve with the fried herbs and garlic and the lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Pour the buttermilk into a wide shallow dish and stir in the garlic. Slice the chicken into chunky slices, about 9.5cm long x 3-4cm wide. Lay the chicken in the dish and turn it over in the buttermilk so it is well coated. Leave in the fridge for 1-2 hrs, or preferably overnight.
• Meanwhile, heat a large, non-stick frying pan and tip in the panko crumbs and flour. Toast them in the pan for 2-3 mins, stirring regularly so they brown evenly and don't burn. Tip the crumb mix into a bowl and stir in the paprika, mustard, thyme, chilli powder, pepper and a pinch of fine sea salt. Set aside.
• When ready to cook, heat oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Line a baking tin with foil and sit a wire rack (preferably non-stick) on top. Transfer half the crumb mix to a medium-large plastic bag. Lift half the chicken from the buttermilk, leaving the marinade clinging to it. Transfer it to the bag of seasoned crumbs. Seal the end of the bag and give it a good shake so the chicken gets well covered (you could do all the crumbs and chicken together if you prefer, but it's easier to coat evenly in 2 batches).
• Remove the chicken from the bag. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan, then add the chicken pieces and fry for 1½ mins without moving them. Turn the chicken over, pour in another ½ tbsp of the oil to cover the base of the pan and fry for 1 min more, so both sides are becoming golden. Using tongs, transfer to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining seasoned crumbs, oil and chicken.
• Bake all the chicken on the rack for 15 mins until cooked and crisp, then serve with the Crunchy coleslaw (see 'Goes well with', below right).

Steps:

• In a large shallow dish, combine 2-2/3 cups flour, garlic salt, paprika, 2-1/2 teaspoons pepper and teaspoons poultry seasoning. In another shallow dish, beat eggs and 1-1/2 cups water; add 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1-1/3 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then place in flour mixture, a few pieces at a time. Turn to coat., In a deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Working in batches, fry chicken, several pieces at a time, until skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into chicken reads 165°, about 7-8 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.

Steps:

• Place chicken drumsticks and thighs in a bowl and pour enough buttermilk over chicken to cover. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• Combine flour, cornmeal, granulated onion, granulated garlic, thyme, salt, paprika, monosodium glutamate, baking powder, and cayenne pepper in a large, wide bowl.
• Remove chicken from buttermilk and shake off excess. Discard buttermilk. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
• Dip chicken into egg whites and press into flour mixture. Allow coated chicken to rest on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Fill a cast-iron skillet or deep fryer with vegetable oil about 1/3 full. Heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Fry chicken in hot oil in batches until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Thighs may take longer to fry than drumsticks. Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined tray to drain. Keep chicken warm in preheated oven while frying remaining pieces.