Grandmas Southern Fried Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Brown the chicken: Heat 2 large skillets over high heat. Add half of the oil to each. Arrange the chicken on a tray in a single layer and season with salt. Turn the pieces over and season the other side. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, carefully add the chicken, skin side down, to the skillets, leaving space between each piece of chicken. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the chicken to brown on their first side, 5 to 8 minutes. Resist the temptation to move or turn the pieces. Use metal tongs to carefully turn the chicken pieces to their second side and brown 3 to 5 additional minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a tray and set aside.
• Prepare the garlic: Grate 6 of the cloves of garlic and set aside for the sauce. Cut the remaining 12 cloves in half lengthwise.
• Make the sauce: In one of the skillets you cooked the chicken in, add the cumin and coriander and stir rapidly over medium-low heat to give them a quick toast, 10 to 15 seconds. Immediately add the onions and grated garlic. Season with salt and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions turn light brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick, pepper flakes, bay leaves and tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes to cook, breaking them apart with a spoon as they cook, 8 to 10 minutes, and then add 1 cup water.
• Toast the garlic cloves: In the other skillet the you cooked the chicken in, arrange the garlic halves in a single layer in the cooking grease. Toast the garlic over low heat until golden brown and crisped, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the garlic from the skillet, sprinkle with salt and drain on a kitchen towel.
• Finish cooking the chicken: Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side up, in the sauce. Cover the skillet, keep the heat low and continue cooking until the pieces are cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cover and stir in the ginger, cream and vinegar. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 additional minutes.
• Test the center of a thigh to make sure the chicken is cooked through. It should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the juices should run "clear," not pink. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Top with the toasted garlic and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Wash chicken pieces and place in a deep bowl. Cover with buttermilk and hot sauce, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Melt shortening in a cast iron skillet to a depth of about 1 inch.
• Heat to about 370º. (No thermometer needed, really. It'll get hot enough while chicken rests AFTER coating if you have your flame on about medium.) If it starts to smoke, turn it down immediately a bit.
• In a doubled brown paper lunch sack, mix together all of the dry ingredients.
• Remove chicken from bowl.
• Using additional seasoned salt and pepper, lightly coat to season chicken.
• Place chicken in bag, one piece at a time. Shake well until thoroughly coated.
• Dip each piece in the buttermilk and coat with flour once again.
• Shake off excess; place on waxed paper for 15 minutes or until dry.
• Place chicken, skin side down, in hot shortening.
• Do not crowd skillet.
• Brown until golden on bottom (good)(skin) side. When chicken pieces are golden on one side, turn pieces over, cover with tight fitting lid, and reduce heat to a simmer, turning chicken pieces ocaisionally, for 35 to 40 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken is tender. *When lid is placed on, and heat is reduced to a good simmer, the good side of pieces are the top sides. After about 10 minutes, turn back to skin-side down. After another 10 minutes or so, turn back to skin-side up for the last 10-15 minutes.).
• Uncover and cook 5 minutes longer for "crispy on the outside" crust. Remove at once, skipping this step, if a softer outside is preferred. My grandma and great aunts always drained their fried chicken on brown paper grocery bags. This seems to work best for me, too. Paper towels work "ok", too. *If doubling or making alot of chicken, or just wanting to keep it warm til the rest of your side dishes are done and ready to serve, place chicken on brown paper bag-lined cookie sheet in very low oven. GREAT cold, too!
• 4-6 servings.
• To make chicken fingers:.
• Use 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips about a 1/2-3/4 " thick. I skipped the buttermilk and hot sauce part, and dipped them into the flour mixture first, then into 1 egg beaten with about a half of a cup of half and half cream and a little hot sauce. Then back into the flour mixture. Worked out PERFECTLY. I lightly browned them in hot oil on one side, turned them, then put a lid on them. I then only cooked them for 8 minutes. I removed the lid, turned them and cooked them another minute. Drained them on paper towel.YUM!
• *One extra tip: Don't ever turn chicken by piercing with a fork, all the juices will run out and the meat will be dry. Always use tongs and have a sharp spatula handy to get underneath just in case a little bit wants to stick. You don't want to lose that good breading! :).

Steps:

• 1. Cook bacon in skillet or heat cooking oil. Oil will spit when you drop water in it when hot enough. (My Grandma only used bacon fat, that was her frying oil of choice, It does add to the flavor of the chicken.)
• 2. Salt and pepper your chicken to taste. When your oil is hot enough, carefully place the chicken in the pan bottom side down.
• 3. Cover and simmer on medium-ish heat for 15 min.
• 4. Using TONGS turn chicken. Recover and continue to cook for 15 min more.
• 5. Check the meat if the meat has started to pull away from the leg bone raise the heat a little and cook uncovered, rearrange the meat according to the heat in your pan. If meat is not pulling away continue to cook covered on medium-ish heat. After you uncover and raise the heat, turn every 10ish minutes, cooking till meat is cooked thru and the skin is golden brown and crispy. Remove from pan and keep warm.
• 6. Make your gravy using the pan drippings.
• 7. Serve warm or cold. This makes the best cold picnic chicken.

Steps:

• 1. Heat oil in skillet or pan to 375 degrees.
• 2. Beat the milk spices and eggs together well in the first bowl. Mix the flour mixture together in a second bowl. Wash the cut up chicken, pat dry. Put in the first bowl with the egg mixture. Coat Well.
• 3. Put a couple pieces of chicken at a time into the flour mixture... coat chicken well.
• 4. Place chicken into hot oil. Fry chicken parts for about 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until done (do not over crowd the chicken as this will lower the cooking temperature and affect cooking times). Remove the chicken to paper towel lined platter to drain. Repeat until all chicken is done.

Steps:

• Put chicken pieces in a large bowl; add salt, black and red pepper, onion powder, and allspice. Toss chicken pieces in bowl until spices are distributed equally.
• Put flour in a medium-size bowl and roll each chicken piece until coated evenly.
• On medium heat in a large non-stick frying pan, bring canola oil up to temperature.
• Add chicken pieces one at a time, skin side down. Lightly sprinkle each side with onion powder and black pepper. Reduce heat to low to medium-low and cover with lid. Turn chicken pieces every 10 minutes for 30- 40 minutes. Chicken is done when both sides are golden brown and slightly crispy.
• Use a collander on a high rim plate to serve chicken on, allowing excess oil to drip free of the chicken as it cools to preserve crispiness.