Do you ever get a taste for something that you just have to have? I mean, like in the middle of the night? Let me clarify; you just have to have it, in the middle of the night, and you don't live in an area where everything or anything is open late? The other night I wanted some fried chicken; not deli chicken, and certainly not my fried chicken; I've never been able to master that. I ended up doing oven fried, which was okay, and definitely healthier. The truth is, I had a jones for some KFC. No such luck at 2 a.m. In my town, no such luck after 8:45 p.m.
The other morning, while on my usual walk through the web, I googled fried chicken recipes, and low and behold, on Cooks.com, I found the following recipe for fried chicken that tastes just like KFC - So it says. I have not tried it yet. Remember, I'm not a good chicken frier.
Why don't you try it, and get back to me with your results?
FRIED CHICKEN (LIKE KFC)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup flour
3/4 cup fine bread crumbs
1 tsp. Knorr chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (not salt)
1/4 tsp. onion powder (not salt)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/3 tsp. Bell Seasoning or pinch ground sage
1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
2 large cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. Wondra flour
additional flour for separate pre-coating
5-6 cups non-hydrogenated Crisco or peanut oil
1 frying chicken, cut in pieces
Safety Warning: A special pressure fryer is the only type of pressure cooker that you can fry in safely. Read your manufacturer's instructions before frying in a pressure cooker. If you don't have your instruction manual, then prepare this chicken in a regular deep fryer.
Pour the oil into the pressure fryer or deep pan suitable for frying, and then heat over medium heat to about 360 degrees.
In a small bowl beat the egg, milk, and soy sauce, then stir in 1/2 tsp. Knorr chicken bouillon (save the other 1/2). Put the garlic cloves through a garlic press and add into the egg mixture. Add half of the parsley and 1 tablespoon Wondra flour. Stir well.
In a separate bowl, combine the 1 cup flour and the bread crumbs, and the remaining ingredients. Mix well with a fork.
Put about 1/2 cup additional flour in a separate small bowl. Use this to dip each chicken piece, prior to dipping in the milk and seasonings.
Roll each piece of chicken around until well covered, first in plain flour, then in milk mixture, then in flour/bread crumbs mixture.
Gently lower the chicken pieces into the hot oil and allow to become a golden color (add the bigger pieces first).
Pressure Fryer:
If you are using a pressure fryer, place the lid on and lock it when the chicken is a very light golden color, usually about 3 minutes. Begin timing when the lid is locked and the gauge indicates a pressure of 5-6 pounds. Bring temperature up immediately and watch carefully (don't walk away!).
Remove from heat after about 7 minutes and reduce pressure following manufacturer's directions. Remove the chicken pieces and place on layers of paper towels. Return the pan to the stove and bring temperature back up and continue until all chicken pieces are fried. If your chicken was too brown, cook the next batch for a minute or so less, and vice-versa if your chicken wasn't browned enough. Do not overload the cooker with too many pieces, as it brings the temperature down too quickly and will cause the pieces to absorb more of the cooking oil than it otherwise would.
Regular Deep Frying:
Fry the chicken at 360-375°F, placing the larger pieces in when the temperature is slightly lower (temperature will drop when pieces are added). Put the smaller pieces in when the temperature is higher, and they will be cooked more quickly. Remove when chicken is golden brown and drain on paper towels.
Cooks Tip: To flavor the oil in this method, you can thickly slice a few large onions and add to the oil before the chicken - skim these out when they are browned, before adding the chicken. It will add an additional layer of flavor to the oil!
Submitted by: CM
