Cooking with Ruth

The Best Fried Chicken 

Ingredients:

• 1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour for coating
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

 Directions:

1. Take your cut up chicken pieces and skin them if you prefer.
2. Put the flour in a large plastic bag (let the amount of chicken you are cooking dictate the amount of flour you use). Season the flour with paprika, salt and pepper to taste (paprika helps to brown the chicken).
3. Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk then, a few at a time, put them in the bag with the flour, seal the bag and shake to coat well.
4. Place the coated chicken on a cookie sheet or tray, and cover with a clean dish towel or waxed paper. LET SIT UNTIL THE FLOUR IS OF A PASTE-LIKE CONSISTENCY. THIS IS CRUCIAL!
5. Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot.
6. Put in as many chicken pieces as the skillet can hold. Brown the chicken in HOT oil on both sides.
7. When browned, reduce heat and cover skillet; let cook for 30 minutes (the chicken will be cooked through but not crispy). Remove cover, raise heat again, and continue to fry until crispy.
8. Drain the fried chicken on paper towels. Depending on how much chicken you have, you may have to fry in a few shifts. Keep the finished chicken in a slightly warm oven while preparing the rest.

Crispy Fried Chicken Ingredients:

Here’s what you’ll need to make the best, crispiest fried chicken of your life:

Chicken
Cut a four-pound whole chicken into pieces or purchase four pounds of breasts, drumsticks, wings, legs, and/or thighs at the grocery store.

Buttermilk
Acidic buttermilk tenderizes the chicken without making it too tough. Also, it helps the flour mixture stick to the chicken.

Flour
All-purpose flour gives the buttermilk and seasonings something to stick to, while ensuring a wonderfully crispy crust.

Seasonings
This crispy fried chicken recipe calls for paprika (which helps with browning), salt, and pepper. You can add more spices and seasonings to taste.

Oil
Vegetable oil is perfect for frying chicken because it has a high smoke point.

Make the Breading

Combine the flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a zip-top bag. Seal the bag and shake until well-combined.

Dredge the Chicken

Pour buttermilk into a shallow bowl, then dip the chicken (on both sides) until it’s completely soaked in buttermilk. Place the soaked chicken in the bag with flour mixture, seal, and shake well to coat. Transfer the coated chicken to a baking sheet, and cover. Allow the flour coating to become a paste-like consistency.

Fry the Chicken

Pour the oil in a skillet and bring it to high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, then reduce the heat, cover the skillet, and cook for about 30 minutes. Remove the cover, return the heat to high, and fry until extra crispy. Drain the chicken on paper towels.

What Makes This Fried Chicken So Crispy?

There are a few reasons this crispy fried chicken works so well:

• Allowing the buttermilk-flour mixture to come to a paste-like consistency is key to a crispiness on the outside and juiciness on the inside.
  ·Most fried chicken is cooked at a high temperature throughout the frying process. This one, however, only starts at a very high heat — after browning, the heat is reduced for about 30 minutes. You’ll turn up the temperature again at the end, locking in that crispy texture.
  · Paprika adds smoky flavor and has a low smoke point, which helps with browning the chicken.

Everyone To Clean Up:

• Cleaning up stations. Wipe down all surfaces used tables, countertops, stove, microwave, refrigerator.
• Clean off all floors (sweep and mop) and vacuum surrounding areas.
• Unload (if there are any in the dishwasher) load dishwasher and wash containers and pots (hand washing dishes).
• Trash- take to the dumpster.
• Laundry (if there are some kitchen towels in the basket) and ect…

Thank you for coming and participating in the cooking class, with much love Ms. Ruth ❤️… Have a wonderful day! 😊

The Best Fried Chicken 

Ingredients:

• 1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour for coating
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

 Directions:

1. Take your cut up chicken pieces and skin them if you prefer.
2. Put the flour in a large plastic bag (let the amount of chicken you are cooking dictate the amount of flour you use). Season the flour with paprika, salt and pepper to taste (paprika helps to brown the chicken).
3. Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk then, a few at a time, put them in the bag with the flour, seal the bag and shake to coat well.
4. Place the coated chicken on a cookie sheet or tray, and cover with a clean dish towel or waxed paper. LET SIT UNTIL THE FLOUR IS OF A PASTE-LIKE CONSISTENCY. THIS IS CRUCIAL!
5. Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot.
6. Put in as many chicken pieces as the skillet can hold. Brown the chicken in HOT oil on both sides.
7. When browned, reduce heat and cover skillet; let cook for 30 minutes (the chicken will be cooked through but not crispy). Remove cover, raise heat again, and continue to fry until crispy.
8. Drain the fried chicken on paper towels. Depending on how much chicken you have, you may have to fry in a few shifts. Keep the finished chicken in a slightly warm oven while preparing the rest.

Crispy Fried Chicken Ingredients:

Here’s what you’ll need to make the best, crispiest fried chicken of your life:

Chicken
Cut a four-pound whole chicken into pieces or purchase four pounds of breasts, drumsticks, wings, legs, and/or thighs at the grocery store.

Buttermilk
Acidic buttermilk tenderizes the chicken without making it too tough. Also, it helps the flour mixture stick to the chicken.

Flour
All-purpose flour gives the buttermilk and seasonings something to stick to, while ensuring a wonderfully crispy crust.

Seasonings
This crispy fried chicken recipe calls for paprika (which helps with browning), salt, and pepper. You can add more spices and seasonings to taste.

Oil
Vegetable oil is perfect for frying chicken because it has a high smoke point.

Make the Breading

Combine the flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a zip-top bag. Seal the bag and shake until well-combined.

Dredge the Chicken

Pour buttermilk into a shallow bowl, then dip the chicken (on both sides) until it’s completely soaked in buttermilk. Place the soaked chicken in the bag with flour mixture, seal, and shake well to coat. Transfer the coated chicken to a baking sheet, and cover. Allow the flour coating to become a paste-like consistency.

Fry the Chicken

Pour the oil in a skillet and bring it to high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, then reduce the heat, cover the skillet, and cook for about 30 minutes. Remove the cover, return the heat to high, and fry until extra crispy. Drain the chicken on paper towels.

What Makes This Fried Chicken So Crispy?

There are a few reasons this crispy fried chicken works so well:

• Allowing the buttermilk-flour mixture to come to a paste-like consistency is key to a crispiness on the outside and juiciness on the inside.
  ·Most fried chicken is cooked at a high temperature throughout the frying process. This one, however, only starts at a very high heat — after browning, the heat is reduced for about 30 minutes. You’ll turn up the temperature again at the end, locking in that crispy texture.
  · Paprika adds smoky flavor and has a low smoke point, which helps with browning the chicken.

Everyone To Clean Up:

• Cleaning up stations. Wipe down all surfaces used tables, countertops, stove, microwave, refrigerator.
• Clean off all floors (sweep and mop) and vacuum surrounding areas.
• Unload (if there are any in the dishwasher) load dishwasher and wash containers and pots (hand washing dishes).
• Trash- take to the dumpster.
• Laundry (if there are some kitchen towels in the basket) and ect…

Thank you for coming and participating in the cooking class, with much love Ms. Ruth ❤️… Have a wonderful day! 😊