Country Fried Chicken
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| Photo by Jamie Winkelman |
Country Fried Chicken | |
Some of the best recipes come from the most unlikely places... like this one, which comes from the underside of the label on a bottle of Crisco oil. With hundreds of cookbooks in my library, I never use recipes from the back of a label... ’til now! The front label of the Crisco bottle reads “Country Music’s Favorite Recipes... Country music celebrity recipe behind label.” Pu-lease! This spicy buttermilk-battered fried chicken was touted as Steve Azar’s Favorite. I don't even know who Steve Azar is, but now I’m one of his best fans. I’ve added a few tips to my version of his recipe.
Served hot, this spicy fried chicken is moist and juicy and not one bit greasy. The outside is crunchy, crispy, and really packs some heat. If there are any leftovers, this recipe makes the best cold fried chicken I have ever tasted.
For a healthier version of this fried Southern treat, remove the skin from the chicken when you cut it up. By the time the chicken is twice dredged in the buttermilk and flour, it develops a coating that fries up so great that you won’t be able to tell the skin is missing!
The correct frying temperature is essential to making sure the inside and the outside are done at the same time. Be sure to monitor the temperature frequently while frying.
This stuff is too good to be true! I make it on the barbeque in a big ol’ cast iron skillet, where it makes no mess and I can stare off into space like you are supposed to when barbequeing. And it’ll put a little fire in your britches, too! Reeeeaally good eats.
Now go chill your beer and get a skillet!
Ingredients
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon hot sauce (like Marie Sharp's hot habanero pepper sauce)
1 small frying chicken, cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (plus 1 tablespoon for extra-hot)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Crisco oil, as needed
Instructions
In a large measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce. Place chicken pieces in a 1-gallon Ziploc bag and add buttermilk mixture. Force any excess air from the Ziploc bag and seal. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.
Remove chicken from refrigerator and pour the buttermilk mixture into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and spices. Toss chicken in seasoned flour until well coated and transfer to a large platter. Dip in chicken in buttermilk mixture, then coat again in flour mixture and transfer back to platter.
In a large cast iron skillet, pour Crisco oil to a depth of 1 inch. Heat oil to 350°F. Carefully add chicken in a single layer, skin side down. (Once you add the chicken, the oil temperature will decrease. Monitor the temperature frequently and adjust the heat to maintain 300°F during the frying process.) Fry 4 minutes; turn over and fry 4 more minutes. Continue turning and frying for a total of 15 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and crisp. Carefully remove cooked chicken from pan. Place on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Transfer to an oven-proof serving dish and place in a 200°F oven to keep warm.