Fried Chicken

I am currently on a kick to use all the food in my fridge and freezer.  The only thing I am buying currently is fresh fruit and veggies.  I have to admit that I have inherited my Mother's food hoarding habit.  She grew in Germany right after the war and will talk about the struggle she used to see her parents go through to ensure that there was food to eat.  When I moved into my house, I bought a chest freezer and I have filled it to the brim.  I am a bargain shopper and tend to buy in bulk.  My favorite tool for this is my vacuum sealer which admittedly gives me an excuse to overbuy because I can make it last longer in the freezer my vacuum packing it.  So this is my first adventure in fried chicken.  I had a pack of chicken thighs that I didn't vacuum seal so I needed to use them.  I figured this would be a good time to fry because I am out of propane and need to go get some this weekend so I can grill.  Here is the recipe I used.  It was very good.

Triple Dipped Fried Chicken

 3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons garlic salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 1/2 cups beer or water

1 quart vegetable oil for frying

1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces

One quick tip to season your chicken, is to put it in a brine of salt water.  I usually put salt enough in the water to season each piece of chicken.  Cover it and put it in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

In one medium bowl or I used a Ziploc bag, 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. I  had to thin with additional beer because the batter was 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.

I also took the excess batter and poured it into the flour and made crunchies. 

My family loved it and they ate up all the crunchies.  It was also good the next day heated up in the oven at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.  Enjoy and see you next post.