How To Fry Chicken To Perfection Recipes

HOW TO FRY CHICKEN TO PERFECTION

Steps:

• Thoroughly rinse the chicken pieces, then place them in a bowl and cover with 4 cups of the buttermilk. Soak in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours.
• When you're ready to fry the chicken, remove the bowl from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes, just to take the chill off.
• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 360˚ and mix up the breading. Place the flour, seasoned salt, paprika, black pepper, thyme and cayenne (plus extra cayenne if you like heat) in a very large bowl. Stir together well.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk and the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and gradually mix with a fork until there are little lumps throughout; these will adhere to the chicken and make for a crispier breading. If necessary, add a little more flour or milk to make the breading slightly lumpy.
• Heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 365˚. Lower the heat slightly, if necessary, to keep the oil from getting hotter.
• Working in batches, thoroughly coat each chicken piece with breading, pressing extra breading onto the chicken if necessary. Place the breaded pieces on a plate.
• Add the breaded chicken to the oil, 3 or 4 pieces at a time; make sure they don't stick together. Cover the pan and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the chicken isn't getting too brown. Turn the pieces over, cover again, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more. All the while, monitor the temperature of the oil to make sure the chicken doesn't burn.
• Transfer the fried chicken to a baking sheet and continue frying the rest of the chicken. When all the chicken has been fried, remove the wings and legs to a rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep covered. (These should be cooked all the way through by now, but always check if any pink juice or meat is visible. If so, return to the hot oil for another minute or so, until fully cooked.) Leave the thighs and breasts on the baking sheet.
• Bake the thighs and breasts for 15 minutes to finish cooking. (You can cut into the thicker part of one of the larger pieces just to make sure the chicken is cooked through. If any pink juice or meat is visible, the chicken needs to continue cooking in the oven.) Drain on the rack set over the baking sheet.

CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH PERFECTION

Steps:

• Place chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour in Italian dressing, seal tightly, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Place the stale bread, Parmesan, thyme, and pepper into a food processor. Pulse until the bread is processed into crumbs. Seat aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together the feta and sour cream. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic. Then add the spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in green onions, cook 2 minutes. Remove spinach to a plate, and leave any liquid in the pan. Stir in mushrooms, and saute until soft. Remove mushrooms to plate with spinach. Allow to cool briefly, then combine spinach and mushrooms with feta and sour cream mixture.
• Stir the sun-dried tomatoes into the mixture, and spread onto a large cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place chicken breasts on a cookie sheet, and place about 3 tablespoons of the filling mixture in the center of each breast. Roll the breasts, and secure with a toothpick. Transfer chicken breasts to a baking dish, and sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over chicken breasts.
• Bake, uncovered, in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.