The Best Thing I Ever Ate...

Friday night Josh and I got caught up watching the Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate". Friday's episode happened to to be titled "Fried Chicken". So, of course, after 30-minutes of mouth watering fried chicken delights, Saturday nights menu had been decided.

(We also looked to see where in our area we could purchase some juicy fried chicken and realized there is a gaping hole in our dining market)

We started with a few basic ingredients for our Southern meal. Fried chicken, mac n cheese, biscuits, and grape kool aid. (No collard greens because we had chard earlier this week.)

After doing some southern fried chicken research, i decided to go with a basic recipe. I let the chicken soak in a mixture of milk and hot sauce for a about an hour (and up to one day in the fridge)

I then mixed the milk/hot sauce mixture with two beaten whole eggs.

My flour dredge composition was all-purpose flour, paprika, black pepper, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, and coriander.

Most of the juiciest looking contenders on TBTIEA had been double dipped so I thought I would use the same technique.

So I dipped in milky egg mixture, flour, then repeated and my chicken was ready for the fryer!

After about 15 minutes my chicken pieces (I used two breasts and six drumsticks) were a golden, crispy brown and ready to be devoured!

Take that KFC!

Our own homestyle Southern Meal, complete with sugary sweet grape Kool Aid.

Southern Fried Chicken Recipe:

8 pcs. bone in/skin on chicken

1/2 Gallon vegetable oil

3 C Milk

2 Tbsp Hot sauce (more or less for your spicy preference)

2 large eggs, beaten

3 C All-purpose flour

2 Tbsp ground black pepper

2 Tbsp paprika

1/2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp ground coriander

1.Combine milk and hot sauce in a glass bowl, add chicken, cover and soak for an hour, or up to one day in the refrigerator.

2.Add vegetable oil to 5 qt pot, turn heat to medium high to warm frying oil to 350 degrees. Will take up to 20 minutes to reach optimum temperature.

3.In medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients, mix throughly.

4.Remove chicken from milk and add eggs to milk, mix to combine.

5.Piece by piece, dip chicken first in milk/egg then flour, and repeat.

6.Carefully place chicken in frying oil.

7.After 15 minutes (longer for larger pieces, or darker meat) remove to towel lined plate, let cool slightly before digging in!