Baconated Fried Chicken

Submitted by The Spice Guru

"My recipe for "baconated" (bacon-marinated) Southern fried chicken. The bacon fat helps the skin cook up crisp, and seal in the juices. The whole eggs compliment the bacon flavor perfectly, and lend a crispness to the breading. Try it... you'll love it."

 

• Ready In: 25hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• CHICKEN

• 8 -12 pieces cut-up fryer chickens (Foster Farms)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

• MARINADE

• 1⁄4 cup filtered hickory bacon drippings

• EGGWASH

• 4 large eggs, beaten

• BREADING

• 4 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 3⁄4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 cup cornstarch

• OIL

• peanut oil

directions

1. NOTE: STRAIN HOT BACON DRIPPINGS THROUGH A FINE SIEVE TO REMOVE ALL DEBRIS BEFORE USING. USE REAL ALLSPICE, NOT A CINNAMON//CLOVE/NUTMEG SUBSTITUTE.
2. PLACE chicken into a large saucepan (with accompanying lid); WEARING disposable gloves, sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground pepper; RUB seasonings well into chicken; POUR bacon drippings over chicken; RUB again until chicken is thoroughly coated; REFRIGERATE for a minimum of 2 hours to overnight, turning as needed.
3. IN a large bowl add the BREADING ingredients except the flour and cornstarch; COMBINE ingredients well using a whisk; ADD the flour and cornstarch; WHISK well until mixture is thoroughly blended.
4. IN a medium to large bowl, beat 4 large eggs; ADD the chicken pieces and turn to coat well; TRANSFER a few pieces chicken at a time into the breading container; ROLL chicken in breading until well-coated; GENTLY shake excess breading from chicken; PLACE breaded chicken on a platter and repeat procedures with remaining chicken; LET chicken rest a few minutes to absorb breading.
5. ADD the manufacturer's recommended amount frying oil for deep-frying; 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 to 325°F, using a standard deep-fryer thermometer to gauge).
6. 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).
7. FRY chicken between 15-18 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked, depending on chicken portions/sizes (juices should run clear when chicken is done); BLOT chicken lightly to absorb excess oil.
8. MAINTAIN frying fat temperature for each new batch and repeat the same cooking/steaming procedures for the remaining chicken.
9. REHEAT chicken before serving, on grill-inserted broiler pan(s) in a preheated oven until warmed (keep oven temperature at 170°F (do not keep chicken in oven over 25 minutes, since it will lose moisture and flavor at that point).
10. SERVE and enjoy!