From Julia · 2022-2023 · Reconstructed
Southern Fried Chicken
Serve when
Serve the moment the pieces come out of the oil deep golden and audibly crackling.
In the series
Season 2
- S2E2 · ~00:27:00 After clashing with Simca over what belongs on The French Chef, Julia proposes a culinary showdown and cooks fried chicken to make her case for American home cooking on air
In the series
The fried chicken showdown is a rare episode where the traffic runs the other direction — instead of demonstrating French technique to an American audience, Julia argues that a skillet of well-made fried chicken deserves the same respect on her show as anything braised in wine.
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the chicken pieces in the buttermilk and hot sauce for at least 4 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Whisk the flour with the salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne in a wide dish.
- Lift each piece from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off, then dredge thoroughly in the seasoned flour, pressing it on.
- Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil in a heavy skillet to 325 F.
- Fry the chicken in batches, turning occasionally, until deep golden and cooked through — 165°F on a thermometer at the bone — about 12 to 15 minutes for dark meat and slightly less for breast pieces.
- Drain on a rack set over a tray and season with a little extra salt while still hot.
Substitutions
- Buttermilk: milk soured with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar, rested for 10 minutes, is a fine stand-in.
Beyond the recipe
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