Grams Fried Chicken Recipes

SOUTHERN LIVING'S BEST FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine 1 tablespoon salt with 3 quarts water in a large bowl or container. Add chicken, cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse with cold water and pat dry.
• Stir together remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Sprinkle half the mixture evenly over chicken.
• In a large sealable plastic bag, combine remaining pepper mixture and flour. Add 2 pieces chicken to bag and shake well to coat. Remove chicken pieces, shaking off extra flour, and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Take a large (10- or 12-inch) cast-iron skillet or chicken fryer, for which you have a lid, and fit with a candy or deep-frying thermometer. Add oil and bacon drippings and heat to 360 degrees over medium heat; the oil will ripple and possibly give off a few wisps of smoke.
• Using tongs, immediately add chicken pieces, skin side down (work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding pan). The oil will drop to about 325 degrees, where it should stay; adjust heat so that oil is bubbling gently around the pieces. Cover and cook 6 minutes; uncover and cook 9 minutes. Turn chicken pieces; cover and cook 6 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5 to 9 minutes, depending on size of pieces. If necessary for even browning, turn pieces over a few times toward the end.
• Drain on paper towels or paper bags. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

GRAM'S FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and milk. In another shallow bowl, toss potato flakes with seasonings. Remove half of the potato mixture and reserve (for a second coat of breading)., Pound chicken with a meat mallet to 1/2-in. thickness. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then in potato mixture, patting to help coating adhere. Arrange chicken in an even layer on a large plate. Cover and refrigerate chicken and remaining egg mixture 1 hour. Discard remaining used potato mixture., In a 12-in. cast-iron or other deep skillet, heat 1/2 in. of oil over medium heat to 350°. For the second coat of breading, dip chicken in remaining egg mixture, then in unused potato mixture; pat to coat. Fry chicken 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and chicken is no longer pink. Drain on paper towels.

GLUTEN-FREE FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preparing to cook: Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lay down a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
• Making the batter: Whisk together the buttermilk, paprika, garlic power, and onion powder. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir.
• Making the flour: Whisk together a pinch each of salt and pepper, flour mix, and smoked paprika.
• Dipping the chicken: Set a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat. As the pan is heating, line up the chicken, the bowl of batter, and the spiced flour. Pour the oil into the hot pan.
• Frying the chicken: When the oil has reached 375 degrees F, dip a piece of chicken in the batter. Shake off any excess liquid. Dip the chicken in the flour and coat it entirely. Place the chicken in the hot oil. Repeat with all the pieces of chicken.
• Don't overcrowd the pan. You can always do this in two batches.
• Flip the chicken pieces when the bottoms are nicely browned. When both sides are browned, put the chicken pieces onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Finishing the chicken: When all the chicken has been browned and laid on the baking sheet, put the baking sheet in the oven. Cook the chicken until the legs have reached an internal temperature of 185 degrees F and the breasts measure 155 degrees F.
• Pour all the flours into a large container. (Restaurant supply stores sell large plastic containers that fit this purpose well. You could also use a large glass jar.) Shake and shake and shake harder until all the flours have become one color.

FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut the whole chickens into 4 breasts, 4 thighs, 4 legs and 4 wings and set aside.
• Preheat your oil, in either a heavy pan on the stove or a deep-fryer, to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
• Pour the buttermilk into another bowl large enough for the chicken to be immersed in the buttermilk.
• Prepare your dredging station. Place your chicken in a bowl. Next to that, your bowl of buttermilk, and next to that, your dry mixture.
• Take your breasts, lightly dust them with your flour mixture, then dip them in the buttermilk until they are coated, and then place them in the flour mixture.
• Take the breasts that are in the flour mixture and aggressively push the flour mixture into the wet chicken. Make sure that the chicken in very thoroughly coated, or you will not achieve the crust and crunch you are looking for. Gently place the breasts in your hot oil.
• Next, repeat the dredging steps with your other pieces of chicken in this order: thigh, leg then wing.
• When you place the last wing into the fryer, you should have 16 pieces of chicken in the oil. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, take a probe thermometer and check the temperature of a breast. If it reads 180 degrees F, all of your chicken is done. (Keep in mind that it will continue to cook after it has been removed from the fryer.)
• Remove the chicken from the oil and let it drain for 5 minutes. Let cool for an additional 10 minutes before serving.

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN WITH WHITE GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Fit cooling racks into 2 baking sheets.
• Place 1 chicken breast in a one-gallon resealable plastic bag with the seal left open (alternatively, place between 2 pieces of plastic wrap). Pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a shallow dish. Whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce and egg in a medium bowl. Set up a dredging station by arranging the chicken, dry ingredients, wet ingredients and prepared baking sheet in an assembly line. Dredge 1 chicken breast in the dry ingredients to coat, then dip in the wet ingredients and shake off any excess. Dredge once again in the dry ingredients to coat and transfer to one of the cooling racks. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Fill a deep cast-iron skillet with 3/4 to 1 inch of oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Working in 2 batches, fry the chicken until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Place on the second cooling rack and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
• For the gravy: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking continuously, until light brown, about 2 minutes. Pour in the milk in a steady stream while whisking. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, then the vinegar. Cook at a simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Serve the chicken fried chicken topped with the white gravy.

CHICKEN FRIED WITH BREAD CRUMBS

Steps:

• Crack the eggs into a bowl and lightly beat with a fork. Put the flour in another bowl, and add the salt and pepper. In the third bowl, put the bread crumbs.
• Dip a piece of chicken in the flour, covering both sides. Gently shake off any excess. Dip the floured chicken in the egg and let the extra drip off. Then lay it in the bread crumbs, and scoop some over to cover the top. Press down gently all over, then lift from the bowl and set on a plate. Do that for all the chicken.
• Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat, and when the white foam floats to the top, use a spoon to skim it off. Then put in the chicken and cook for about 7 minutes on each side, or until the crumbs are nicely browned. (Fish will take less time.) Use a spatula to turn the chicken over, and cook 5 more minutes or so. Serve with lemon wedges.

BESANI MURGH (GRAMFLOUR FRIED CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Clean and cut the chicken into pieces and grate the ginger. Combine milk, chicken pieces, ginger, cloves and cumin powder. Boil until the chicken is tender and the liquid absorbed. Sprinkle with red chili powder and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Make a batter with curd and gram flour; beat well, adding one or two tablespoons of water and remaining salt. Set aside for an hour. Coat cooked chicken with batter and fry until golden brown. Lift out and drain on paper.

MAKE-AHEAD FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Whisk together all the marinade ingredients, except the chicken, and place in a large bowl or plastic bag. Submerge the chicken in the marinade, cover bowl or seal bag, and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or, better, overnight.
• Make the coating: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cayenne, salt and chile powder. Place a paper bag inside another paper bag (to prevent seepage, use large bags or several small ones) and transfer the flour mixture into it. This is so you can shake the chicken pieces. (You can also just mix flour in a bowl and dredge the chicken parts in it, or use a heavy-duty plastic zipper bag for shaking.)
• Take a piece of chicken out of the marinade and place it in the bag with the flour mixture. Close the bag and shake it so the chicken is fully coated. (Or, if you are using a bowl, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.) Remove and place on a plate or sheet pan. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces, one by one. Let chicken rest for 30 minutes so it can come to room temperature. Reserve the coating mixture.
• In a large Dutch oven or heavy skillet with a lid, heat the oil until it reaches 350 degrees. Just before frying, shake the chicken pieces in the coating mixture once again, one by one.
• Fry the chicken for 6 minutes, covered, then uncover the pot and flip the chicken with tongs. Continue frying for about another 6 minutes, or until the coating is dark golden brown and the juices run clear when the meat is pricked with a fork.
• Place chicken on a wire rack set over a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain and cool. Serve within 8 hours, but it's best to serve within 4 hours and leave the chicken at room temperature, rather than chilling it.