Oh Lordie - My First Ever Attempt at Southern Fried Chicken

[NashVegas]

More like southern blackened chicken, but oh my! The juice!

At least the biscuits came out proper this time.

[IrishBloodEngHeart]

1. I'm coming over!

The key to good Fried chicken is rolling in flour and spices and deep frying.

[NashVegas]

7. Pan Fried

My oil may have been a little too hot, not sure.

[Iris]

24. Florence HEnderson says to use Crisco, Crisco!

sorry, I couldn't resist!

[NashVegas]

26. That's Fine Iris

Somewhere, Loretta Lynn is mumbling in her sleep, "and Ah haylped."

[Kahuna]

29. WRONGO!!! Florence says to use, Wesson. And I agree!

Once you go Wesson, you don't go back. :D

[Iris]

33. Yeah! You're right! Did Loretta Lynn do the Crisco commercials?

Remember the butter-flavored Crisco?

[Shopaholic]

2. That looks---

most unfortunate.

[IronLionZion]

3. Damn

my condolences :P

It still looks tastier than KFC though!

[Shopaholic]

8. Another good trick--

after you've floured the chicken pieces--lay them on a cookie sheet and stick them in the fridge for a few minutes (even a few hours is okay). It makes the flour/breading stick to the chicken better. It looks like you had the oil heated up a little bit too much, maybe????
Oh--and you'll love this--I swear by Crisco in the can, (not the kind in the bottle) when I fry my chicken.

[NashVegas]

9. Probably Too Hot

I did use my namesake, too.

At least it did taste great.

[Rockholm]

4. Were they in a frying pan? Looks like grilled?

Use an electric frying pan.

[da_chimperor]

5. It's cajun!

Just drench it in hot sauce and it should be okay. :D

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

6. Aww just tell everyone that its cajun

Scrape the burn off , pour some barbecue sauce on it and put it back in the oven for some more minutes . Hope that helps .

[freetobegay]

10. Oh honey you need help!

You might want to consider KFC for awhile.

[miss_kitty]

44. KFC is EVIL!

they treat the chickens horribly (http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com/), had to be sued by PETA to stop lying about it on their website, and is Owned by YUM! Brands, which also owns Taco Bell, guilty of using suppliers who enslave illegal immigrants to pick the tomatoes they use. They are paid $50 a day 12 hour days, 2 tons of tomatoes. Back breaking work (http://www.ciw-online.org/tz_site-revision/home/home.html). In both cases, these two subsidiaries lie about their knowledge of this happening, disavow responsibilty and continue to use the offending suppliers

KFC is the Man. Please avoid the Man. I know it's not always possible. But if people can cut back on the Man, we could be better off in 4 years.:)

Your chicken looks fine. you don't want it rare anyway!
:evilgrin:

[Hog lover]

11. !

Was this fried or grilled?

A simple way to make southern fried chicken is just to dredge the chicken pieces in flour mixed with salt and pepper. Cook in preheated oil (half inch or so). You start with the heat high enough to brown (but not burn!) the outside on all sides, then lower the heat and continue to cook until done. Some people say don't turn but once, but I turn as needed to keep evenly cooked and to prevent burning. A heavy skillet, preferably cured cast iron, is best to use.

[tjdee]

14. I always add some season salt too.

Uh, I'm not sure if that's the official name, LOL.
Lawry's ...season salt?... or some Goya Adobo...I'm a seasoning fool.

[Liberal Veteran]

12. Believe it or not my Grandma who lived here whole life in Ga told me...

....the easiest way in the world to tell if your oil is hot enough. Get a box of wooden kitchen matches and throw one in the oil. The moment it ignites (and magically it doesn't lite the whole pan on fire) the oil is at the perfect frying temp.

[NashVegas]

13. That Sounds Dangerous!

I waited for the oil to start smoking, but made a mistake in *not* turning it down.

Alas.

[Liberal Veteran]

17. Yeah...when she showed me that trick, I was hanging near the baking soda..

...but was shocked that it just lit up and when out immediately.

[CottonBear]

15. Oh honey! That's not fried chicken.

You must consult a good Southern Living cookbook or at least Joy of Cooking. You need flour, salt, pepper and a big ol' cast iron fry pan filled with oil.

[NashVegas]

19. Ahem

Cast iron pan. Check.

Salt. Check. Pepper - cayenne - check. Also used paprika & garlic powder underneath the flour.

I'm just a neophyte. At least it's edible.

[CottonBear]

42. Joy of Cooking recipe:

young chicken: lightly dredge in seasoned flour or cornmeal (salt and pepper). Melt in skillet: butter & veg oil (2 TBS fat for ea 1/2 chicken)When fat reaches point of fragrance, add chicken. Cook & turn until brown then turn down heat & cook uncovered, turn frequently-30-45 minutes according to size. Good Luck! Keep trying.

[Endangered Specie]

16. Real chicken has a little black on it...

IMHO.

[Padraig18]

18. Turn your heat down, and you'll be fine.

:hi:

[tjdee]

20. Too high of a temperature, as everyone already said, plus....

You've got to put it on low so that it cooks without scorching, and then turn it when brown on the "cooking" side.
My mom actually covers it after she turns it, so it gets crispier. (that's what she says--I don't cover it)

Now, someone else said put it on high, and then turn it down, which really means everyone makes it differently and you'll figure out your way.

:)

[DrWeird]

21. Try Alton Brown's Southern Fried Chicken.

He could tell you what went wrong.

[NashVegas]

23. Who Do You Think Put This Funky Idea Into My Head in the First Place?

that I could do such a thing?

[DrWeird]

27. Doesn't sound all that hard.

If you're willing to wait 24 hours.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_15279,00.html

[NashVegas]

28. It Wasn't

I just screwed it up is all :D

[shoopnyc123]

22. Too Long in the Pan...

...remember it steams as it cooks, so color does not dictate its "done-ness"...

[davsand]

25. Roll chicken in buttermilk THEN put on breading.

The breading is pretty easy--I just mix it in a paper or plastic bag drop buttermilk covered chicken into the bag and shake it. I have been known to use flour, a bit of corn meal, garlic powder, some salt and a bit of cayenne or hot paprika in the breading...

All the advice you have been handed upthread about the temperature is pretty much dead on (except that match thing--THAT scares me!) I will echo the suggestion for an electric skillet to fry chicken. That is the only way to do it unless you deep fat fry which is awful unhealthy!

Laura

[short bus president]

30. My dinner didn't go so smoothly, either.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=1952367&mesg_id=1952367

:D

[NashVegas]

32. LMAO

I feel so much better now.

[short bus president]

36. That's gotta be some kind of Event of Note.

I made crisco laugh over a grease fire.

<rimshot>

[NashVegas]

37. Well Let's Face It

at least my disaster was still edible.

[short bus president]

38. Yeah, sure

but who's was more dramatic? Who's dinner adventure had more flare?

;-)

[NashVegas]

39. Ya Got Me There

I do admit.

[short bus president]

40. And all in all, my dinner adventure was productive.

I actually was still hungry after failing that first time, so I gathered up my strength and the other fire extinguisher and decided to get back on that horse and try again. But the other fire extinguisher was ancient, and almost completely depressurized. So I backed off of the horse and went to get a burger. But I DID stop by the store and grab 2 new fire extinguishers on the way home, so it worked out OK in the end.

[Maddy McCall]

31. Here's how you do fried chicken.

Put the battered chicken into very hot grease IN A CAST IRON SKILLET...let it fry until the crust forms. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and let the chicken fry for thirty minutes or until golden...turning every ten minutes or so.

The secret is to start with very hot grease and cut your temp back after the batter turns to crust.

:-)

I'll be giving lessons on cooking the perfect flour gravy next. :-)

[Zomby Woof]

45. what about the CORNFLAKES???

[Maddy McCall]

46. Not only no...

but FUCK NO! :-)

[SOteric]

47. Those make it

extra-yummy crispy. I could say more about the perfect fried chicken, but it looks like there's more than enough advice floating around as it is.

[Nevernose]

48. I once dated a woman based on her ability with gravy

How many people have you met who had recipe collections for GRAVY? I didn't know that there were that many ways to make gravy! Damn, why did I let her get away...

Oh, and the perfect gravy: it's the opposite of the chicken. HIGH heat and constant stirring, take it off a little before it's done.

[FuzzySlippers]

34. Is the chicken

what batboy is screaming about?:)

[NashVegas]

35. Perhaps Perhaps

Batboy will eat anything.

[radwriter0555]

41. You have to have a glass of wine while the oil is heating up in order

for it to turn out PERFECT.

At least, I do.

The only time my fried chicken has the soul is when I've had the wine. If I don't, it turns out just wrong.

Actually you should start BEFORE you put the seasonings for dredging together.

[Cerridwen]

43. Congratulations on your first attempt - as you said, at least it

was edible. I've done worse to pancakes.

So next time, with all the knowledge you're acquired here; we're gonna get to see some chicken that'll have us drooling on our keyboards.

:hi:

[sleepyhead]

49. The best recipe I've ever seen

is "Bon Ton Fried Chicken" (named after a tiny Kentucky restaurant) in "Blue Plate Specials and Blue Ribbon Chefs" by Jane and Michael Stern. Marinated in spices overnight, dredged in spiced flour, and fried in hot oil for 25 minutes. Lots of work but truly yummy. There is also a very good recipe in Laurie Colwin's "Home Cooking" which I have done several times too.