My sister and I were talking the other day about fried chicken. She was explaining how her family had requested a dinner of fried chicken, so she got on her computer and Googled a recipe. This really got me laughing!
In our younger years, my family lived in the country with my grandparents, where we were taught how to raise most of our food. We raised chickens, rabbits, guinea hens, pigeons, pigs – you name it, my grandparents had it. And they weren’t raised for pets. They were a staple of our diet. Also, what is even funnier is that she used to help in the preparation of getting chickens ready to eat, which I will not go into. (Not our fondest memory!) One time she was accidentally locked in the chicken coop! She still has nightmares! Just kidding (about the nightmares).
So fried chicken was at least a weekly meal, and we grew up knowing just how to prepare it, from chasing the thing down, to turning it in the pan. This is what struck me as so humorous.
However, she did find a good recipe for fried chicken and said that it turned out really tasty, and her family thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Salute! I have a fried chicken recipe that I really like, and since I don’t have hers, I will share mine with you.
Deep-frying foods was known throughout Europe be-fore reaching the United States. Historians say that in medieval times, Fritters were the first foods to ever be fried.
Fried chicken was known as Ga Xao in Vietnam and Pollo Fritto in Italy. The English preferred to boil or bake chicken whereas the Scottish liked to deep-fry it in fat. The West Africans also used deep frying methods at that time.
It is said that the immigrant Scots introduced fried chicken to the American south, where it became a popular staple. As Africans arrived to work on southern plantations, the slaves worked as cooks and introduced their traditional spices and seasonings to enhance the flavor of the chicken. Most slaves were allowed to keep chickens and enjoyed fried chicken on special occasions.
The phrase “southern fried chicken” first appeared in print in 1925 in the South. Fried chicken was not a popular recipe in the northern states until the latter part of the nineteenth century.
As fast food chains spread around the globe, so did fried chicken. Today, fried chicken is an American staple. Marinating in buttermilk and dredging in flour and spices before frying, tenderizes the chicken and enhances its flavor.
Southern Fried Chicken
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1 quart of buttermilk
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
vegetable oil for deep-frying
Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and place them in a deep baking dish. Whisk together the buttermilk, hot pepper sauce, and one teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken, stir to coat all sides of the chicken pieces, and cover the dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about two hours to marinate. Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk mixture, and shake off excess. Discard the buttermilk mixture.
Place the flour, one tablespoon of cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste in a large plastic zipper bag, and shake well to combine. Place two or three pieces of chicken at a time into the plastic bag, and shake well to coat the chicken pieces with seasoned flour.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan, to 350 degrees. Place chicken pieces into the hot oil, and fry until chicken is cooked through and golden brown. Drain the fried chicken on paper towels.