Southern Fried Chicken
2009 November 30
It has been a long time due for me to try Paula Deen’s fried chicken recipe. I watched her on OPRAH years ago telling her stories of success doing her cooking business. If I am not mistaken she also cooked few dishes including the fried chicken, however I am not sure whether this Southern Fried Chicken was one of them. Anyway, this is one of her great recipe. Easy and quick to make and everyone craves its crunchiness, after all they are deep fried 
Anyway before you start, I have few tips of my own:
- I almost ruined the dinner by not reading the recipe properly. I doubted my self for a while looking at 1 cup of salt as House Seasoning to mix to the chicken pieces. Instead I put 3 tsp of salt and it was so salty (I test fried them) that I had to cut another whole chicken in the fridge (Thank God I had another whole chicken stored, but it was for Hainanese Chicken). So my point is to read to your recipe properly (*-*)
- Try to trim the fat as much as you could, so you will feel less guilty. I think it tastes much better.
- Mix 2 eggs first with the hot sauce, ans add another one if you really need it. As I only needs 4 eggs for 2 whole chickens.
- Same as the eggs, just use your flour half the recommended portion and add more if you need more.
- If you have the leftover chickens and they went cold, heat them again in the oven. All of the oil came from chicken fats and oils will be released and your chicken will taste crunchy and crispy again, with less fat of course.
Ingredients
Recipe adapted from Paula Deen: Southern Fried Chicken, for details click here- a whole free range chicken (about 1.5 – 2 kg), cut into pieces
- 3 eggs (I used 2 eggs)
- 1/3 cup water (I use 1/4 cup water)
- 1 cup hot red pepper sauce, recommended Texas Pete (I used 2 tbsp Tobasco)
- 2 cups self raising flour
- 1 tsp pepper
- House seasoning (1 cup of salt, 1/4 cup of garlic powder, 1/4 of black pepper) (instead of this I use 1 tbsp of pureed garlic, 2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of fresh crack black pepper)
- oil for deep frying, preferably peanut oil (I used Canola Oil)
Instructions
- Mix house seasoning, keep it in an airtight container, and store it for up to six months. Use reasonable amount to season the chicken pieces. (I seasoned mine with pureed garlic, salt and black pepper)
- In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange (mine remains yellowish).
- In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper.
- Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour mixture.
- Heat the oil in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.
- Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer then white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes.
Preparation time (duration): 20
Culinary tradition: American
Please leave your comment/suggestion if you find this recipe useful. Can’t wait to hear from you and Thank You!!!
