Fried chicken is made from pieces of chicken that are floured or breaded and then either deep-fried, pan-fried, or pressure-fried until crispy. This Southern staple originates from two distinct groups. The first are Scottish immigrants, who brought their long-standing tradition of deep-frying chicken, though unseasoned, to America. The second group were slaves from West Africa who used a seasoned batter to coat chicken before frying it in palm oil. The frying techniques of Scottish immigrants and the seasoning techniques from West Africa combined in the southern United States to create the fried chicken we know today. The dish survived the fall of slavery and became common in the South before spreading across the country.
Recipe Servings: 4
+ 8 hours resting
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken, bone-in, chopped into large pieces
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1½ tsp cayenne pepper, divided
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp onion salt
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups peanut oil
Directions
- Combine buttermilk, onion, paprika, and ½ tsp cayenne pepper in a non-reactive dish.
- Add chicken and coat thoroughly.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Drain thoroughly.
- Sift the flour together with the remaining cayenne pepper, garlic salt, onion salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Coat chicken pieces with flour mixture.
- Heat oil in a deep pan.
- Carefully fry chicken, a few pieces at a time, until golden, turning once. Test to make sure chicken is cooked through.
- Drain and serve hot.
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