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Art Smith's Fried Chicken

Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 14, 2009 at 12:55 PM

Ingredients

For the buttermilk brine:
1 to 1/2 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 gallon water
1 quart buttermilk

For the "dredge":
3 cups of White Lilly Self-Rising Flour
1 cup of pulverized corn flakes
1 tablespoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of hot red pepper
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of onion powder

Procedure

1. Dissolve the kosher salt in water, and submerge chicken pieces and brine overnight or at least 4 hours in refrigerator. Remove from brine and soak in buttermilk, overnight or at least 4 hours.

2. Place dry ingredients in bowl and mix and sift ingredients well, remember to that self-rising flour has salt, so "do not add salt."

3. Remove chicken from refrigerator add 6 beaten eggs to the chicken buttermilk mixture. My friend Paula Deen, loves to add hot sauce to her wet mixture, which adds more spiciness to the chicken.

4. In a fry pan, about 8 inches in depth, pour about 3 inches of good peanut oil, grape seed oil, or canola oil. Using a thermometer, heat oil to 335 °F.

5. Starting with dark meat, thighs and drumsticks, remove and shake excess buttermilk egg mixture off, coat in dredge. You can also dip twice for a thicker crust.

6. Carefully add to hot oil, and not overcrowding, add pieces and cook 8 minutes per side or until brown.

7. Remove from skillet, place on sheet pans, with racks, so chicken will be crispy on all sides. I like to do this because it enables you to get the frying done sooner, and all you have to do is finish in oven at 300°F for about 15 to 20 minutes until done. The chicken's center must be 160 °F.

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Tags: Art Smith, chicken, fried chicken