Host Mary Ellen Pinkham shares her recipe and tips for making crispy, tasty fried chicken.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. sage (tarragon may be substituted)
1 frying chicken, cut into pieces
cooking oil
Materials:
electric skillet
cooking thermometer
jellyroll pan
Preparation:
Combine milk and egg and set aside. Mix all dry ingredients in a paper grocery bag or large plastic bag. Add the chicken, a few pieces at a time, to the bag and shake to coat. Dip the coated pieces in the milk and egg mixture then put them in the bag and coat again. Add one inch of oil to the electric skillet, and heat it on medium to medium-high heat until the oil reaches 250 to 300 degrees.
Fry the chicken for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until it becomes tender. Turn the chicken once, about halfway through the cooking time, to ensure that it is evenly cooked. Remove from the skillet and drain the chicken on a wire rack over a jellyroll pan.
Hints:
- For tangier chicken, marinate the chicken for at least four hours in buttermilk. This also makes the chicken crisper and gives it a golden color.
- Bring some spice to the chicken by adding a few drops of hot sauce in the milk or buttermilk.
- After coating the chicken, put it in the refrigerator for about an hour before frying. This helps the coating stick to the chicken.
- Tossing the chicken in a brown paper bag makes cleanup easier. Just toss the bag in the garbage.
- An electric skillet allows more precise control of the cooking temperature.
- Use a brown paper bag on the wire rack when draining the cooked chicken. Paper towels can make chicken soggy, while the paper bag soaks up grease and makes the chicken crisper.
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