Nana's Famous Fried Chicken
Jan. 1st, 2008 09:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serenecookingNana's Famous Fried Chicken
5-6 pounds chicken parts (mom does 10 pounds of leg quarters. I did 5.25 pounds of thighs, plus two drumsticks from the chicken I'd used for soup earlier in the day)
Oil for frying (I used more than a pint, but less than a quart, for this amount of chicken)
The Breading, dish 1 (halve if you don't want pancakes from the leftover):
6 eggs, beaten with
1 T. oil and
1 T. water
The Breading, dish 2 (halve if you don't want pancakes from the leftover):
1 can (15 ounces) Italian Breadcrumbs (or make your own)
1 cup Parmesan cheese (yes, in the green can. Cope.)
1 T. granulated garlic / garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
With one hand, dip the chicken pieces one at a time into the egg mixture. Place the chicken into the breading dish and use the *other* hand to cover the chicken with bread crumbs. This way, you won't bread your fingers. Bread all the chicken pieces one at a time that way, and place them on a dish that will fit in your fridge (layers are fine). Let rest for 30 minutes to 3 hours in the fridge.
If you're making pancakes, mix the bread crumbs and add 1 to 1.5 cups of water to the mixture to make a thick batter, then let sit covered in the fridge until the chicken is done frying.
Preheat oven to 350F. Fill a heavy frying pan (I use cast iron. Mom often used whatever she had handy, and for a while, she used an electric skillet) with enough oil to go up about halfway on the chicken pieces. I started with about a pint in my 10-inch iron skillet. Heat on medium-high until a piece of breading sizzles when it hits the oil.
Fry a few pieces at a time (as many as will fit in your skillet -- I did 3 at a time), turning once, until both sides are browned as brown as you like it. Place the fried pieces on a cookie sheet in the oven. Mom says to tell you it's not done yet. Keep frying and adding the new pieces to the oven to finish cooking. By the time you're done, the pieces you put in first will be perfect.
To make the pancakes, just fry 1/4 cup or so portions of the batter, turning once, until they're as brown as the chicken or a little browner. Don't worry if the oil foams up so you can't see the pancakes -- it'll die down in time for you to flip them.
5-6 pounds chicken parts (mom does 10 pounds of leg quarters. I did 5.25 pounds of thighs, plus two drumsticks from the chicken I'd used for soup earlier in the day)
Oil for frying (I used more than a pint, but less than a quart, for this amount of chicken)
The Breading, dish 1 (halve if you don't want pancakes from the leftover):
6 eggs, beaten with
1 T. oil and
1 T. water
The Breading, dish 2 (halve if you don't want pancakes from the leftover):
1 can (15 ounces) Italian Breadcrumbs (or make your own)
1 cup Parmesan cheese (yes, in the green can. Cope.)
1 T. granulated garlic / garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
With one hand, dip the chicken pieces one at a time into the egg mixture. Place the chicken into the breading dish and use the *other* hand to cover the chicken with bread crumbs. This way, you won't bread your fingers. Bread all the chicken pieces one at a time that way, and place them on a dish that will fit in your fridge (layers are fine). Let rest for 30 minutes to 3 hours in the fridge.
If you're making pancakes, mix the bread crumbs and add 1 to 1.5 cups of water to the mixture to make a thick batter, then let sit covered in the fridge until the chicken is done frying.
Preheat oven to 350F. Fill a heavy frying pan (I use cast iron. Mom often used whatever she had handy, and for a while, she used an electric skillet) with enough oil to go up about halfway on the chicken pieces. I started with about a pint in my 10-inch iron skillet. Heat on medium-high until a piece of breading sizzles when it hits the oil.
Fry a few pieces at a time (as many as will fit in your skillet -- I did 3 at a time), turning once, until both sides are browned as brown as you like it. Place the fried pieces on a cookie sheet in the oven. Mom says to tell you it's not done yet. Keep frying and adding the new pieces to the oven to finish cooking. By the time you're done, the pieces you put in first will be perfect.
To make the pancakes, just fry 1/4 cup or so portions of the batter, turning once, until they're as brown as the chicken or a little browner. Don't worry if the oil foams up so you can't see the pancakes -- it'll die down in time for you to flip them.
