Fried Chicken In A Basket Recipes

Steps:

• With a cleaver or heavy knife, split the chicken breasts, then cut each breast 1/2 in 1/2 again.
• Place the chicken pieces in a shallow container skin side down and pour the buttermilk over them. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight, if possible.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Place the beaten eggs and flour in separate shallow bowls. Dredge the chicken pieces first in the flour, then the egg, and then the flour again.
• In a 12-inch saute pan with deep sides, melt enough shortening so that it is 2 inches deep and heat the pan until the oil begins to smoke.
• Fry the chicken for 2 minutes on each side, until the skin is golden brown. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake the chicken for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
• Serve warm immediately, or store in the refrigerator for the next day's picnic.

Steps:

• Combine 1 tablespoon salt with 3 quarts water in a large bowl or container. Add chicken, cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse with cold water and pat dry.
• Stir together remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Sprinkle half the mixture evenly over chicken.
• In a large sealable plastic bag, combine remaining pepper mixture and flour. Add 2 pieces chicken to bag and shake well to coat. Remove chicken pieces, shaking off extra flour, and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Take a large (10- or 12-inch) cast-iron skillet or chicken fryer, for which you have a lid, and fit with a candy or deep-frying thermometer. Add oil and bacon drippings and heat to 360 degrees over medium heat; the oil will ripple and possibly give off a few wisps of smoke.
• Using tongs, immediately add chicken pieces, skin side down (work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding pan). The oil will drop to about 325 degrees, where it should stay; adjust heat so that oil is bubbling gently around the pieces. Cover and cook 6 minutes; uncover and cook 9 minutes. Turn chicken pieces; cover and cook 6 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5 to 9 minutes, depending on size of pieces. If necessary for even browning, turn pieces over a few times toward the end.
• Drain on paper towels or paper bags. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• In one medium bowl, mix together 3 cups of flour, garlic salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, paprika and poultry seasoning. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 1/3 cups flour, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, egg yolks and beer. You may need to thin with additional beer if the batter is too thick.
• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Moisten each piece of chicken with a little water, then dip in the dry mix. Shake off excess and dip in the wet mix, then dip in the dry mix once more.
• Carefully place the chicken pieces in the hot oil. Fry for 15 to 18 minutes, or until well browned. Smaller pieces will not take as long. Large pieces may take longer. Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.

Steps:

• BBQ Spice Blend: Preheat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl, combine onion powder, black pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, thyme, salt, brown sugar, and sumac. Spread the spice mixture evenly in a baking pan and bake until the mixture is fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool, about 10 minutes. Pulse in a food processor until finely ground. Pour onto parchment paper, then pull up the edges to create a funnel. Gently pour the spice mixture into a shaker or lidded container. Set aside. Makes about 1 cup. (Store in an airtight container at room temperature.)
• Cure chicken: In a large bowl, add salt and mustard and onion powders, and combine until well blended. Add the chicken pieces and get in there with your hands to coat each piece well. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange the coated chicken pieces in a single layer, keeping the skin intact; lightly cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Bring the cured chicken to room temperature. (You don't want to fry ice-cold chicken, because it won't cook all the way through, and it will chill the frying oil.) Meanwhile, make the batter: In a large bowl, add the cornstarch, flour, and salt. Slowly pour in the cold water, whisking continuously, until the mixture is smooth and the consistency of thin pancake batter. Add more water as needed to thin the batter.
• Heat oil: Clip a candy or deep fry thermometer onto a large, heavy pot. Add enough canola oil to fully submerge the chicken pieces-about halfway up the side of the pot. (Oil expands as it heats, so don't overfill the pot.) Heat the oil over low heat until it reaches 300 F. (It's fine if the oil temperature goes up to 350 F, because it will drop once the chicken goes in.) Coat chicken: When the oil is hot, add all the chicken into the batter and fully coat each piece.
• First fry: Starting with the dark meat, use tongs to pick up each piece and allow the excess batter to drip off. Gently swirl the tip of the chicken in the oil to set the crust; this will prevent the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Then ease the rest of the piece into the oil. Repeat with all the chicken pieces. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to make sure the chicken pieces don't stick together or to the bottom of the pot. If they do stick, gently separate them with the spoon; try not to tear the delicate crust!
• After 10 minutes total, use the slotted spoon to transfer the chicken pieces to drain on a wire rack or paper towels on a baking sheet. The chicken will not be fully cooked-there's a second fry. Let the chicken rest, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the oil to 350 F. (Note: The chicken can be made to this point up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated; bring it back to room temperature before the second fry.) Second fry: When the oil is hot, fry the chicken pieces again, this time for 4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
• Use the slotted spoon to transfer the chicken pieces to drain on a clean wire rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle BBQ Spice Blend on all sides of the chicken from a spice shaker, or sprinkle it on the chicken with your fingers. Reserve any spice blend on the bottom of the tray to reuse on more chicken. Serve immediately.