Fried Chicken

Description:

Fried chicken is perhaps the most iconic dish of the American South, and there are several theories as to how this dish originated. The most plausible theory has fried chicken originating in Scotland, with a recognizable description appearing in an 18th century essay on Scottish cuisine. It is then plausible to believe that the African slaves in the American South began cooking fried chicken based on the recipes from their Scottish slaveholders, hence why fried chicken is such an emblematic icon of African-American Soul Food to this day. By the mid 19th century, fried chicken became an integral part of Southern society for both blacks and whites, and was traditionally eaten after church service on Sundays. In the mid 20th century, fried chicken became popular in the American mainstream with the rise of the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise, and today is known virtually worldwide thanks to this brand’s international success.

Ingredients:

(Serves 3-4)

• 4 cups vegetable oil (960 ml)

Spice Mix

• 2 tsp garlic powder (12 g)

• 2 tsp paprika (12 g)

• 2 tsp black pepper (12 g)

• 2 tsp oregano (12 g)

• 1/2 tsp cayenne (3 g)

Coating

• 2 cups flour (240 g)

Marinade

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs & 2 breasts cut in half)

• 1 cup buttermilk (240 ml)

• 1 egg

• 2 tsp hot sauce (30 ml)

Preparation:

In a container of ziplock bag, combine the chicken, marinade ingredients and half of the spice mix, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to 12.

In a bowl, combine the flour and the remaining spice mixture. In a pot, heat the oil over medium high heat until it reaches a temperature of 425 degrees (220 C).

Pour a spoonful or two of the marinade into the flour mixture and mix to create small pieces of flour - this will help to give the fried chicken a nice crust. Add the chicken pieces to the flour and coat very thoroughly using your hands - the outside of the chicken should have a craggly appearance. Make sure to shake of the excess flour before frying, then add to the oil. Fry chicken, in batches, for roughly 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (75 C). Serve immediately.

Notes:

• You can experiment with adding additional spices to the spice mix - dried thyme, celery salt, onion powder, dried ginger and mustard powder are also common additions.