Cornmeal Battered Fried Chicken Recipes

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees; place rack in jellyroll pan.
• In medium bowl, beat egg with milk; reserve.
• In separate shallow bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, seasonings, salt and pepper; reserve.
• Add enough oil to large, deep skillet to come up 1 inch; heat to 350 degrees on deep-frying thermometer.
• Meanwhile, coat chicken pieces with egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then coat with cornmeal mixture; place on sheet of wax paper.
• Fry chicken in batches, turning once, until golden, 3-4 minutes per side.
• Drain on paper towels; transfer to rack in jellyroll plan.
• Bake until chicken is no longer pink near bone, about 35 minutes.

CORNMEAL BATTERED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wash the chicken and in large saucepan. Cover the chicken with slightly salted water and bring to a boil. After it boils, reduce the heat and cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (the boiling is done to almost cook the chicken so the cornmeal does not burn).
• Drain the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
• For the batter: Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl; mix well. Add the egg, milk, and oil to the flour mixture; mix well until smooth.
• Heat oil for frying to 365°F.
• Dip the chicken pieces one at a time in the batter and gently shake off the excess batter. Carefully lower into hot oil.
• Fry 2 to 3 pieces at a time for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden, turning only once.
• Carefully remove and drain on paper towels, or paper bag.
• Keep warm while frying the remaining chicken.

FRIED CHICKEN WITH CORNMEAL

Steps:

• Trim the chickens of as much obvious fat as possible.
• In a large shallow pan, stir together the lemon juice, kosher salt and hot sauce. Add the chicken pieces to the mixture and marinate, refrigerated, for at least two hours. Turn the chicken at least three times during the marination.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• In a doubled-up, large paper bag, mix together the cornmeal and salt. Put three or four pieces of chicken in the bag and shake until they are completely coated. Remove to a platter and continue until all the pieces are coated. Shake off excess cornmeal.
• In a large, oblong, deep roasting pan, pour in a half inch of vegetable oil. Put the pan in the preheated oven. After about 15 minutes, when the oil is hot, use tongs to gently place the chicken pieces in the pan, being careful not to crowd them. Cook on one side, about 15 to 20 minutes. Then turn on the other side and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure that the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Repeat this step, frying batches, until all the chicken is cooked.
• Transfer the chicken to a large platter and keep warm in a 250-degree oven. Before serving, sprinkle with fresh, chopped marjoram. Decorate the platter with sprigs of rosemary and thin slices of lemon.

PERFECT CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken drumsticks and thighs in a bowl and pour enough buttermilk over chicken to cover. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• Combine flour, cornmeal, granulated onion, granulated garlic, thyme, salt, paprika, monosodium glutamate, baking powder, and cayenne pepper in a large, wide bowl.
• Remove chicken from buttermilk and shake off excess. Discard buttermilk. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
• Dip chicken into egg whites and press into flour mixture. Allow coated chicken to rest on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Fill a cast-iron skillet or deep fryer with vegetable oil about 1/3 full. Heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Fry chicken in hot oil in batches until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Thighs may take longer to fry than drumsticks. Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined tray to drain. Keep chicken warm in preheated oven while frying remaining pieces.

CORNMEAL OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large shallow dish, combine the first 9 ingredients. Place the buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in buttermilk, then dip in bread crumb mixture, a few pieces at a time, and turn to coat. , Place in a 13x9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes; drizzle with butter. Bake until juices run clear, 30-40 minutes longer.

FRIED CHICKEN WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Combine 1 quart water, 1 1/2 cups salt, and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining 7 quarts water. Add chicken pieces to brine, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
• Remove pot from refrigerator and let stand 1 hour at room temperature. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, cayenne, pepper, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large, shallow dish.
• Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot with 2 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fat thermometer reaches 375 degrees. Drain and rinse chicken; do not pat dry. Working in batches of 4 to 5 pieces at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Immediately transfer to oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of flesh (do not touch bone) reads 165 degrees, about 15 minutes for white meat and 10 to 12 minutes for dark. Adjust heat to maintain oil temperature between 350 degrees and 375 degrees and return oil to 375 degrees between batches. Transfer chicken as fried to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet to drain. If serving cold, let cool completely, cover, and store in refrigerator up to 8 hours.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk together the buttermilk, the zest, the lemon juice, the oil, the shallots, the thyme, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne, add the chicken, stirring to coat it with the marinade, and let it marinate, covered and chilled, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. In another large bowl combine the cornmeal, the bread crumbs, the Parmesan, the parsley, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the paprika, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon, letting the excess marinade drip off, dip it in the egg wash, and dredge it in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off the excess. Arrange the chicken in one layer on a rack and let it dry for 30 minutes. (The chicken may be prepared up to this point 6 hours in advance and kept covered loosely and chilled.) Arrange the chicken, skin side up, in one layer in a lightly oiled jelly-roll pan, drizzling the butter over it, and bake it in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes, or until it is crisp and golden. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain. Serve the chicken warm or at room temperature.