This recipe for deep fried chicken is one I often use. Unlike a lot of deep-fried chicken recipes, this one does NOT try to be Kentucky Fried Chicken! (If you want the one that DOES try to be KFC, click this link: Kentucky Fried Chicken Recipe.)Not too spicy, yet tender and juicy, you'll be eating this standard deep-fried chicken after 14-18 minutes of frying time.
DEEP-FRIED CHICKEN RECIPE
Get the grease going to 350° as you batter up the chicken.
One serving:
2 chicken breasts
Drake's Frying Mix (Hints for substitutes below)
Water
Lots of Cooking Oil! An average frying pan takes 1 Qt. Canola is healthier, Soybean tastes better. Take your pick.
(2 chicken breasts leaves a bit extra for a snack later on or lunch the next day--it's great cold, too!)
Dump about 1 cup Drake's in a smallish bowl. If the bowl's too big, you'll need tons to get the chicken coated good, but you'll end up with lots extra.
Slowly stir in water until it's got enough. It should be a rather thick consistency, so it'll stick to the chicken. Use less water than the box says.
Cover the chicken with batter.
By the time you're done with this, the oil should be hot enough. CAREFULLY put the chicken in.
Time it 7 minutes on one side, then CAREFULLY turn it over. It'll want to stick to the fork and then spash back in, so be sure to eeaaaasse it back in. Use a knife on the underside to keep that Splashdown effect from happening.
If they're thin breasts, time it another 7 minutes. If they're thick, give them another 10-11.
When the time's up, cut in. If you see pink, put them back in for another couple of minutes. They should be white all the way through.
Drain off the extra oil with paper towels. Use expensive paper towel or it'll stick too easily to the crust!
Remember that it'll be hotter than heck--a lot hotter than baked chicken!--so be careful when you go to bite in. Cooking oil holds the heat longer, too!
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR BATTER:
Flour does NOT work. It's pretty bad.
Other brands of storebought mix may suggest just putting it on dry. Ignore the suggestion! When they say this, though, the product does not normally make good batter. To get by this, add an egg and then water it down to the right consistency. Also, these brands will brown up faster than other kinds. So make the temperature 325° and cook the chicken longer, to avoid having the outside burn while the inside's still raw!
Any kind of mix where the manufacturer gives directions for making it into a liquid should work without adding eggs (unless it calls for them), but make sure to keep it thick enough. Most packaged batter directions have it ending up way too thin.
Shake N Bake won't do for this.
By the way, no, I don't know how much fat or cholesterol is in it, and I couldn't care less!! Life's too short for that!!!
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