Southern Fried Chicken

This Southern Fried Chicken recipe from Paula Deen, is proof that fried chicken need not be a two day event!

Sure, soaking the chicken in buttermilk the night before would arguably make this even better, but Paula doesn't require any soaking of the chicken. We did soak our chicken pieces in buttermilk about 2 hours before breading and frying.  The end result was a fried chicken that was crunchy on the outside, juicy in the center!



To cut down on the smell and the mess associated with deep frying, we set up shop outside; using our turkey deep fryer we use for Thanksgiving.  This outside frying, along with using a gallon Ziploc bag for the flour mixture ...and... egging and breading all of the chicken (placing on parchment lined cookie sheets) prior to heating our oil...kept things organized and made for easy clean up!

As noted by its 5 star rating on foodnetwork.com (with 650+ reviews), this Southern Fried Chicken is simple to make and oh so delicious!!!  

Southern Fried Chicken, Paula Deen Foodnetwork.com
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup water
• About 1 cup hot red pepper sauce (recommended: Texas Pete)
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• House seasoning, recipe follows (you will have some of this left over - don't use it all - it's just for seasoning the chicken!!!)
• 1 (1 to 2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into pieces
• Oil, for frying, preferably peanut oil (we used vegetable oil as we had it - but if you can use peanut oil - DO SO!)

Directions:

In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange. In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Season the chicken with the house seasoning. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour mixture.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.

Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer then white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes.

House Seasoning: (feel free to 1/4 this recipe)

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.