Recipe : Southern Style Fried Chicken

This is such an easy and delicious recipe your family will think that you ordered in!  This is also great because it's inexpensive using everyday ingredients and it keeps well for lunch and snacks.

The only 'trick' is you need to plan when you want to eat, because the chicken needs to marinate overnight (or up to 24 hours)

Let's get started:

Get a family size package of chicken legs (or drumsticks).  Be sure to have them thawed before marinating.

For the marinade, you will need:
- 1 tsp of celery seed
- 1 tsp of rosemary
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 minced cloves of garlic
- 1/2 of a small onion (minced)
- 2 cups of buttermilk
- 2 tbsp of salt
- 1 tbsp of sugar

Mix together and put in a large Ziploc bag.  Add the chicken legs and let sit overnight or up to 24 hours

Now, carefully remove the chicken legs from the bag but DO NOT toss out the buttermilk marinated - you will be using it again.

Place the chicken on a cookie sheet while you prepare the dry coating mix.

In a shallow bowl, mix:
- 1 1/2 cups of flour
- 1/2 tsp of onion powder
- 2 tbsp of paprika
- 1 tsp of celery seed
- 1/4 tsp of black pepper

You will also need 1L of cooking oil - Veggie oil or Canola is best.  Olive Oil is too heavy and will pull off the coating from the chicken.  If you do not have a fryer (I don't) just heat up the oil in a stock pot.  It should be at least 2 inches deep.  The oil MUST be HOT before you fry the chicken. 

Now, take the buttermilk marinate out of the bag and put in a bowl.

I create my own little assembly line starting from the left where I have my chicken waiting on a cookie sheet, next is my dry coating mix, then the buttermilk and then another cookie sheet (or large serving plate).

Take a leg and dip in the dry mix, then dip (quickly) in the buttermilk mix and then dip again in the dry mix.  Leave it on the other cookie dish (or plate).  Do this for every chicken leg. 

Once the oil is hot and ready, add your chicken (you will probably not be able to fry all of the legs at once).  The chicken will take about 12-15 minutes to fully cook - look for a deep golden brown colour on the skin.

This is a favourite in my house and I'm sure it will be a favourite in yours, too.