The recipe is easy to do, and tastes so good. Brining helps keep the chicken real moist during cooking. And, the process of brining is a lot better than marinating because it draws the flavors in the brine into the chicken better along with the liquid to help keep the cicken moist and tender after cooking.
Chicken was on sale this week $.29 / pound for leg quarters. After I finished up the butchers job, separating legs from thighs, cut off the backs and tails, removed all the extra fat, I still had a little over $3.00 in 12 legs and 12 thighs. I bought so much 'cause it's Sunday and I'm cookin' for the week.
I've been hankerin' for Fried Chicken so I figured I'd have another shot at it. I had some fried chicken tenders at a Super Bowl party at my local watering hole that were great and REAL moist. When I asked Charlie (head chef) how he did it, he told me that he always brines chicken prior to frying it. 6 months later I'm trying it.
I looked all over my favorite web sites for different brines and found that the common denominators were; water, salt, vinegar, sweet, and spices. Lookin' around the galley for available stuff, I came up with this recipe.
I took half the chicken and made it according to my Fried Chicken recipe, letting it soak in buttermilk with a little chipotle tabasco in it for a little bite. Then, I created the other marinade (recipe shown below), which is really a brine. Let both soak in the refrigerator for about 8 hours.
Cooking the buttermilk batch, the smell was of normal fried chicken. The brined version smelled of the vinegar and I was concerned that the vinegar might give it an off flavor.
Boy, was I wrong. Now, don't get me wrong, the buttermilk chicken was good, but, the brined chicken was GREAT. The smell of the vinegar while cooking must have been the vinegar cooking out. This brined version was more moist with a better sense of the flavors that were in the brine, especially the maple syrup. And, the Cajun Spice flvors of the Butt Kickin' Blacken really come through.
Now you could say that it was just me talking about something that I made, but I had a buddy over tonight. A Southern buddy. Even he liked my version better than the buttermilk, even though the buttermilk version tasted just like his Granny used to make.
So I guess it's a keeper and I figured I'd write it down before I forgot what I did. I can't even think of anything that I'd do different.
1. Make the brine by combining the first 5 ingredients.
2. Place the chicken in a plastic bag, add the marinade, and place in the refrigerator for about 24 hours, or as long as 2 days. The longer brining time will insure that all the flavors have totally penetrated the chicken.
3. Take the chicken out of the brine and dry it real well.
4. Set up for "Three Stage Dipping".
Mix 3 cups flour with the Blacken, Salt and Garlic Powder. Place 1 cup of this mixture in one bowl, and 2 cups in a larger bowl.
Mix the egg wash together, with a whisk, in a small bowl. I use the milk, because I like a thinner crust, and it helps to blend the eggs better.. If you want the crust to be thicker, just omit the milk.
5. Lay 3 legs and 3 thighs, one piece at a time, in the flour mixture then turn over. Take out to coat with this flour mixture. Rub the flour into the chicken with your hands, don't shake off the excess and place in a pan to get ready for frying.
Ron's Note:
If you'd like a real thick batter on the chicken, after you've done the breading, just dip it back into the egg, then the flour a second time, you'll end up with a Super Thick, and crispy chicken.
6. Heat the oil to about 300 degrees. I like using my black frying pan.
7. Place the chicken in being careful not to splash the oil. Leave the chicken alone for 10 - 12 minutes.
8. When you start to see some blood being forced out of the chicken (this means that the chicken is cooking), carefully turn them over. Leave another 10 - 12 minutes. The second side should be well colored.
9. Take them out with tongs letting them drain on a rack in a shallow pan.
Ron's Note:
I drain anything that's fried on a rack, instead of papers towels, because, I feel, that I end up with a crisper product.
This recipe prints as a shortened version, with only 1 Picture, Ingredients, and Directions.
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This recipe prints as a shortened version, with only 1 Picture, Ingredients, and Directions.
Quite often, Southern Fried Chicken is served on top of a waffle, with honey drizzled on top. Since you've already got the flavor of Real Maple Syrup, I'd just drizzle some more of that on top.
Leftovers
I prefer to eat any Leftover Fried Chicken, cold, right out of the refrigerator.
However, if you prefer it warm, just place the previously fried chicken in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minuites.
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By Cap'n Ron
