BEST RECIPES-The Food Lab's Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 táblespoons pápriká
• 2 táblespoons freshly ground bláck pepper
• 2 teáspoons gárlic powder
• 2 teáspoons dried oregáno
• 1/2 teáspoon cáyenne pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 lárge egg
• Kosher sált
• One whole chicken, ábout 4 pounds, cut into 10 pieces or 3 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on breásts, legs, drumsticks, ánd/or wings
• 1 1⁄2 cups áll-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup cornstárch
• 1 teáspoon báking powder
• 4 cups vegetáble shortening or peánut oil

Directions

1. Combine the pápriká, bláck pepper, gárlic powder, oregáno, ánd cáyenne in á smáll bowl ánd mix thoroughly with á fork.
2. Whisk the buttermilk, egg, 1 táblespoon sált, ánd 2 táblespoons of the spice mixture in á lárge bowl. Ádd the chicken pieces ánd toss ánd turn to coát. Tránsfer the contents of the bowl to á gállon-sized zipper-lock freezer bág ánd refrigeráte for át leást 4 hours, ánd up to overnight, flipping the bág occásionálly to redistribute the contents ánd coát the chicken evenly.
3. Whisk together the flour, cornstárch, báking powder, 2 teáspoons sált, ánd the remáining spice mixture in á lárge bowl. Ádd 3 táblespoons of the márináde from the zipper-lock bág ánd work it into the flour with your fingertips. Remove one piece of chicken from the bág, állowing excess buttermilk to drip off, drop the chicken into the flour mixture, ánd toss to coát. Continue ádding chicken pieces to the flour mixture one át á time until they áre áll in the bowl. Toss the chicken until every piece is thoroughly coáted, pressing with your hánds to get the flour to ádhere in á thick láyer.
4. Ádjust án oven ráck to the middle position ánd preheát the oven to 350°F. Heát the shortening or oil to 425°F in á 12-inch stráight-sided cást-iron chicken fryer or á lárge wok over medium-high heát. Ádjust the heát ás necessáry to máintáin the temperáture, being cáreful not to let the fát get ány hotter.
5. One piece át á time, tránsfer the coáted chicken to á fine-mesh stráiner ánd sháke to remove excess flour. Tránsfer to á wire ráck set on á rimmed báking sheet. Once áll the chicken pieces áre coáted, pláce skin side down in the pán. The temperáture should drop to 300°F; ádjust the heát to máintáin the temperáture át 300°F for the durátion of the cooking. Fry the chicken until it’s á deep golden brown on the first side, ábout 6 minutes; do not move the chicken or stárt checking for doneness until it hás fried for át leást 3 minutes, or you máy knock off the coáting. Cáre- fully flip the chicken pieces with tongs ánd cook until the second side is golden brown, ábout 4 minutes longer.
6. Tránsfer the chicken to á cleán wire ráck set on á rimmed báking sheet ánd pláce in the oven. Cook until án instánt-reád thermometer inserted into the thickest párt of the breást registers 150°F ánd the legs register 165°F, 5 to 10 minutes; remove the chicken pieces to á second ráck or á páper-towel-lined pláte ás they reách their finál temperáture. Seáson with sált ánd serve—or, for extrá-crunchy fried chicken, go to step 7.
7. Pláce the pláte of cooked chicken in the refrigerátor for át leást 1 hour, ánd up to overnight. When reády to serve, reheát the oil to 400°F. Ádd the chicken pieces ánd cook, flipping them once hálfwáy through cooking, until completely crisp, ábout 5 minutes. Tránsfer to á wire ráck set on á rimmed báking sheet to dráin, then serve immediátely.

This article and recipe adapted from this site

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