Lee's Fried Chicken

Lee's Fried Chicken

I love fried chicken. My dad used to make it at home so I started learning when I was little. Over the years I have modified and re-modified the recipe. Here is how it works now.

First make some seasoning:

2 Tbsp salt	Stir together any multiple of this amount which is good for one whole chicken cut into pieces or a package of 12 wings, legs or thighs. (Substitute more black pepper for the white pepper if you like.)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder

I mix it in a cup or small glass (or an old spice bottle with a shaker top). Set this aside to use in a bit.

Warning:
It can be dangerous if you get raw poultry juice all over things. Harmful bacteria love to multiply in it and can make you sick. Be sure to keep the juices as localized as you can. Clean after each step with antibacterial dish soap or disinfectant wipes or bleach. Keep your hands washed and don't let them be the transfer point of the raw poultry juice.
End of Warning

Then remove the skin (except on the wings because it's too hard) and soak the chicken pieces in cold salt water. (3 cups of cold tap water and 2 Tbsp salt but no need to be accurate.) Try to use enough salt water to cover all the chicken but don't obsess about it if some sticks up. Soak for 10-20 minutes. Or you can soak all night if you put it in the refrigerator.

While the chicken is soaking in the salt water, prepare the flour mixture listed below. These are the amounts for one to two chickens. The amount is right for a package of 12 wings, legs or thighs, too. I mix it in a a large Ziploc bag. Daddy did it in a large grocery store brown paper bag. You can only fit one chicken at a time in a large Ziploc.

3 cups flour	Put all this in the bag together and shake it up to distribute the spices (Substitute black pepper for white pepper if you wish.)
2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp white pepper
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder

After the spices are all shaken in, set the bag aside to use in a bit.

Pour off the salt water the chicken is soaking in.I spread 2 paper towels on the cabinet, remove each chicken piece from the water, squeeze it to get extra water off it and put it on the paper towel. Repeat for each piece. When finished, all the chicken pieces are spread out on the paper towels. (The paper towels make it easier to keep the juice from running all over the cabinet and easier to clean up.)

Find the fried chicken seasoning you made way back at the first and sprinkle over the chicken.Put a bit more on than you think you should. Since it's mostly salt, imagine how much salt you need for meat and remember that chicken pieces are thicker than most meat you cook. First do one side and then the other. (If you use an old spice bottle it's easy to shake it over the chicken. If you have it in a cup, pinch a bit of the spice mixture between two fingers and your thumb and rub your fingers back and forth to sprinkle it while your hand is 6-8 inches above the chicken.

Now put the chicken in the bag with the flour mixture. It works best to put 2 or three pieces in and then shake the flour around the chicken and then add some more. When all the chicken is in the bag, seal the Ziploc or roll the top of the brown paper bag to seal it up. Shake well.

I use peanut oil to fry chicken. You can use a skillet with about 3/8 inch of oil or a taller pan with a bit more oil. Heat the oil somewhere between med-high and high to 325 degrees F. If you don't have a frying thermometer, you can wait until you think it's hot enough and drip one drop of water off your finger. If it goes wild, it's hot enough. If it sizzles gently, it's not hot enough. If the oil smokes, remove it immediately and let it cool some.

Put chicken in the hot oil. It should sizzle grandly and you won't want your hand anywhere near it. My skillet is about 12 inches in diameter and will cook half of one chicken at one time. A deeper 12 inch pot with an inch and a half of oil in it will take a whole chicken without the pelvis which you can throw away anyway.

Turn the heat down to a bit over medium so it will cook slower. Slower cooking means the chicken will be more tender.

Each side cooks 8-10 minutes but don't use a timer. Watch it. It will get a nice shade of brown when it is ready to turn. You can feel the rubbery, rawness in the pieces of chicken that aren't yet done. If you don't trust yourself, cut into a thigh or thick piece of chicken and verify that it is not red near the bone. It can be slightly pink when you remove it as it will cook a bit more on the plate.Cook on both sides and, if you think it needs more time, cook a short time on the 1st side again. Try not to be turning it over and over as that sometimes leaves the middle uncooked.

If the chicken gets dark brown or black, the burner is too hot. Turn it down and turn the chicken over.

Wings (not wing pieces) may need to cook on three sides so there isn't a pasty white part.

When pieces are done, put them on a plate with doubled paper towel underneath to drain and cool a bit. Eat as soon as they aren't too hot to bite. Or, let them cool and refrigerate to eat cold for lunch or picnics.