Michelle's Southern Fried Chicken

Submitted by Michelle Figueroa

"This is a mixture of my mom's recipe and Paula Deen's recipe. It is time consuming, but my husband loved it - therefore, it is worth the time!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 50mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 4 lbs chicken pieces
• 1 tablespoon bacon grease
• Crisco, for frying

• brine

• 1 gallon cold water
• 3⁄4 cup kosher salt
• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• marinade
• 4 eggs
• 1⁄3 cup water
• 1 cup texas pete hot sauce

• flour coating

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons black pepper

directions

1. Wash chicken.
2. Take your brine ingredients and mix well to dissolve (in a large container). Add chicken and brine in the refrigerator for a minimum of one hour.
3. Drain the brine from the chicken -- you do not need to pat dry the chicken.
4. Combine the marinade ingredients and add chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
5. Combine the coating ingredients in a shallow pan and coat the chicken pieces. Just let the liquid from the marinade drip off the chicken pieces as you move them from the marinade to the flour.
6. Let the chicken rest for five to ten minutes and then re-flour your chicken.
7. Fill pan to 1/4 thickness with crisco and bacon grease and heat to about 350 - 360 degrees. It is important for your oil to stay at this temperature, so add your chicken pieces slowly, allowing the temperature of the oil to raise again after you add a couple pieces of chicken (and don't crowd the pan). (As you add the chicken pieces, your oil's temperature will be reduced.).
8. Stay with your chicken, turning as each side gets golden brown and crispy. Dark meat takes longer, about 13-15 minutes and white meat takes about 8-10 minutes.