Popeyes Bonafide Mild Chicken (Copycat)

Spice Guru's Note:

My revised, reverse-engineered recipe for Popeyes' 'Bonafide' Mild Fried Chicken.

• Total Time: 2 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

CHICKEN

• 8 pieces fresh frying chicken

SEASONING

• 2 teaspoons fine salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons dry buttermilk (SACO)
• 3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Accent seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon Butter Buds (butter flavor seasoning)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dill seed (not dill weed)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground leaf thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

BATTER

• 4 beaten eggs
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 tablespoon white pepper
• 3 tablespoons nonfat milk
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Accent seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

DREDGING

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

DEEP-FRYING FAT

• beef tallow shortening

Directions:

1. RINSE chicken pieces and leave wet; PLACE chicken into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
2. MEASURE all of the the SEASONING ingredients into a resealable plastic container; SEAL the container and shake well to blend; FUNNEL mixture into an empty, clean salt shaker; SPRINKLE the SEASONING evenly and generously on every side of water-moistened chicken; RUB mixture well into chicken; ALLOW chicken to marinate in seasoning for 20 minutes at room temperature.
3. BEAT 4 eggs in a large bowl with 1/2 cup self-rising flour, 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 tablespoon white pepper; WHISK in 3 tablespoons nonfat milk until well blended; ADD the remaining batter ingredients (1 teaspoon fine salt, 3/4 teaspoons fine sugar, 1/2 teaspoon Accent seasoning, and 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric); WHISK mixture in bowl vigorously until smooth.
4. ADD 3 cups all-purpose flour into a medium bowl for the DREDGING.
5. PLACE a cooling rack over a baking sheet and set aside.
6. REMOVE chicken from the marinating dish using tongs; SHAKE the excess marinade; (1) DIP chicken into the BATTER until evenly coated; (2) COAT the chicken well in the DREDGING flour; PLACE chicken onto the rack over baking sheet.
7. REPEAT steps with remaining chicken pieces until all are battered and breaded (NOTE: IF THE FLOUR DREDGING BECOMES CLUMPY, SIFT IT THROUGH A SIEVE TO REMOVE CLUMPS BEFORE CONTINUING); ALLOW breaded chicken to rest at least 15 minutes to absorb the breading.
8. ADD the manufacturer's recommended amount of deep-frying fat for deep-frying (100% beef tallow shortening or 70% Crisco Shortening with 30% Crisco Butter-Flavor Shortening); PLACE deep-fryer basket into place in deep-fryer; PREHEAT fryer to 315°F (or preheat enough fat to immerse chicken completely in deep heavy stovetop pot between 315°F, using a standard deep-fryer thermometer to gauge).
9. CAREFULLY drop each piece breaded chicken one at a time, gently into the deep-fryer basket without crowding (if a standard size home fryer is used, add no more than 2-3 pieces at a time); (if stovetop frying, gently place breaded chicken pieces into hot oil using tongs, turning once halfway through frying duration).
10. DRAIN chicken on a wire rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet; TRANSFER rack over a baking sheet and keep chicken warmed in a preheated 170°F oven until serving; SERVE and enjoy!