Southern Fried Chicken you cook yourself is the best! My mother was an only child and we spent a lot of time with her mother, my grandmother or Granny as we called her. We’d go for the weekend to stay with her and almost every Saturday night before we went to bed Granny and Mom would make sure the kitchen was spotless and then they would cut chickens up and put them in salted water and into the refrigerator to brine overnight for Sunday lunch.
The next day the house smelled amazing of fried chicken! I remember a table full of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and cream gravy, maybe some fresh Blackeyed peas, corn on the cob, cornbread, sliced tomatoes, all the delicious foods you may find on a Southern table.
What I do…
I buy a whole chicken and cut it up myself. Not only is this less expensive but I’m getting all the pieces from the same chicken. I also don’t want a too big chicken but about a 3 to 3 1/2 pound chicken. Then I cut it up, legs and thighs first, then the wings and then remove the breast. I fry every part of the chicken which includes the back which by the way has some delicious meat on them. If you don’t know how to cut up a chicken, here’s a short video of instructions: https://www.youtube.com/embed/GEwRmG2HEuM?autoplay=1&FORM=VIRE6&PC=EMMX06.
I like to buy a natural chicken like the H-E-B Natural Chickens I buy from my local Store. Whole Foods, Costco, Central Market, Sams Club, other groceries will offer a natural chicken.
Granny’s Essential Southern Fried Chicken
I like to serve this with different sides. Probably the most favorite for most is mashed potatoes. Here’s my mashed potatoes recipe also: delicious buttery mashed potatoes!!
Ingredients
Method
- Cut a whole chicken up and place in a bowl of salted water. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator the night before.
- Beat three eggs completely in a medium bowl. I like to use a hand held blender because I like the eggs a little frothy.
- In another bowl add your flour and lightly salt and pepper, add the baking soda and whisk together.
- Pat your chicken pieces dry and season the entire chicken with the 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. I let it sit for a minute or so to allow it to so it will adhere to your chicken.
- Place each peace of chicken in the flour, then the eggs, then the flour again covering completely and shaking off the excess. Place on a sheet pan and continue until all pieces are battered.
- Add oil to a heavy skillet to 350. Add chicken in batches making sure not to crowd. I like to maintain a heat between 325 and 350 otherwise your chicken will be brown and raw in the middle. Another tip is that I like to brown the chicken lightly on all sides, then reduce the heat to about 325 to allow it to cook through, turning occasionally.
- When the first side browns, turn and allow the other side to completely brown. Then I turn a few more times from side to side to make sure the inside is fine. I always check each piece with a thermometer because nothing’s worse than a raw chicken. You want the internal temperature to be 165 degrees for the breast and for the thighs and legs 175 degrees will render a better texture. I drain on a rack placed over a sheet pan to insure the chicken remains crispy! Enjoy!
