Fried Chicken...why can't I do this?

Okay, so over the weekend, I once again tried to convince myself (and family) that I could make some amazing fried chicken! And once again, it was a total fail!! Here's how it all went down. I soaked my chicken in buttermilk S&P over night. I had a large cast iron LeCruset skillet filled w/ canola oil. I let the oil get really hot (thinking this might have been one of the problems?) I then dipped the chicken in an egg yolk/water bath, then into flour that I seasoned with season salt and pepper. Then I repeated that, because hubby wanted a nice thick crispy crust. At this point, all looked well and I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. I placed 4 pieces in the skillet so not to crowed. Placed lid on to get a "steam" effect. The chicken was looking good, but then when I turned it, it was black!!! I tried to salvage what I had in that batch. So, I turned down the temp and tried the next batch. Same thing. Really dark brown. The actual meat was nice. Moist and tender. The crust was very brittle and almost gritty, with a raw flour taste and very under seasoned even though I had plenty of season salt in the flour. I'm at a lost....I don't understand what I'm doing wrong?? If anyone out there can help me, that would be great. I would love to prove my family wrong and knock their socks off with some great chicken, instead of a smoke filled kitchen and a house that still smells like it today

I usually don't fry my friends, but I'll try the Crisco next time when I want to fry chicken! lol Thanks!

oil too hot, get a thermometer... 350degrees , don't cover so you can see what is going on.
Then remove your chicken to a rack, and then check the temp of the oil again.
when it goes back up to 350, add your next batch.

enjoy.

Ditto...get a thermometer. I just hang my digital probe off the range hood into the oil. We dont fry to often but when we do we use peanut oil.

You might try some Kentucky Kernal seasoned flour next time as well. You can't go wrong with this stuff and don't add anything to it. Trust me it's seasoned enough. A single dip should make a nice crust because buttermilk tends to make a hard crust. Also, I wouldn't cover the cooking vessel because if your chicken isn't totally submerged in the oil when you turn it to cook it on the other side then the steam created by the lid will make the breading on the cooked side soggy. Also depending on how big your pieces of chicken are, you may want to lower your heat down to 330 or so if they are big. I would also suggest using Crisco or if you like, get some Lard for extra tasty chicken! Good Luck!

I too soak overnight in buttermilk. Cast iron skillet, Crisco coming 1/3 to 1/2 way up the sides of pan, heated to 325. Drain off buttermilk, add seasoning to chicken BEFORE going into flour(unless you like burnt spices), no egg or egg wash. After seasoning and flouring, shake off as much excess flour as you can, then skin side down first, usually takes me 10-12 minutes per side. Drain on a cooling rack.

I ripped most if not all of the techniques from Alton Brown and used trial and error with the spices until I found what I like; I sometimes add hot sauce and cayenne to the buttermilk if I want it spicy. I've NEVER had burnt or greasy chicken, even when using strips. The key is monitoring the oil temperature so I'd suggest getting a fry thermometer if you're serious about fried food.

Thanks guys for all your advice! I'm going to give it another try. With all your tips, I think I can do it. I'll keep you posted.

hey deedee. my favorite cookbook is The Perfect Recipe, written by pam anderson. not the one from baywatch, lol! she is the food columnist of USA weekend magazine. here is her approach to fried chicken. it's easy to make and doesn't cause a huge mess in your kitchen because of her brown bag method. the article called Rediscovering Fried Chicken will explain why each step is necessary and following that is the recipe. please let me know if you try it and how it works out for you. i have made this recipe over and over and have never been disappointed.

http://books.google.com/books?id=poQZpC ... t&resnum=6

You might try some Kentucky Kernal seasoned flour next time as well. You can't go wrong with this stuff and don't add anything to it. Trust me it's seasoned enough. A single dip should make a nice crust because buttermilk tends to make a hard crust. Also, I wouldn't cover the cooking vessel because if your chicken isn't totally submerged in the oil when you turn it to cook it on the other side then the steam created by the lid will make the breading on the cooked side soggy. Also depending on how big your pieces of chicken are, you may want to lower your heat down to 330 or so if they are big. I would also suggest using Crisco or if you like, get some Lard for extra tasty chicken! Good Luck!

I second the Kentucky Kernal seasoned flour. A friend recommeneded this to us a couple of years ago and we've been using it ever since.

I use a 50/50 mix of Kentucky Kernel seasoned flour and cornmeal for frying catfish, YUM... great, now I want catfish