Fried Chicken With Cornmeal Crust Recipes

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk, together buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, shallots, thyme, 1 tsp of the salt, and 1 tsp of the cayenne, add the chicken, stirring to coat it with the marinade, and let it marinate, covered and chilled, stirring occasionally for 3 hours or overnight. (I put everything in a large zip lock bag.).
• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• In a separate bowl, make the egg wash by mixing together the eggs, water and 1 tbl lemon juice.
• In another large bowl combine the cornmeal, bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, remaining 1 tsp salt, paprika and the remaining 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. (I put everything in a large zip lock bag, and coat the pieces two at a time.).
• Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon, letting the excess marinade drip off, dip it in the egg wash, and dredge it in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off the excess.
• Arrange the chicken in a one layer onto a rack and let it dry for 30 minutes.
• (The chicken may be prepared up to this point 6 hours in advance and kept covered loosely and chilled.).
• Arrange the chicken, skin side up, in one layer in a lightly oiled jelly-roll pan, drizzling the butter over it, and bake it in the middle of the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until it is done and crisp.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees; place rack in jellyroll pan.
• In medium bowl, beat egg with milk; reserve.
• In separate shallow bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, seasonings, salt and pepper; reserve.
• Add enough oil to large, deep skillet to come up 1 inch; heat to 350 degrees on deep-frying thermometer.
• Meanwhile, coat chicken pieces with egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then coat with cornmeal mixture; place on sheet of wax paper.
• Fry chicken in batches, turning once, until golden, 3-4 minutes per side.
• Drain on paper towels; transfer to rack in jellyroll plan.
• Bake until chicken is no longer pink near bone, about 35 minutes.

FRIED CHICKEN WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Combine 1 quart water, 1 1/2 cups salt, and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining 7 quarts water. Add chicken pieces to brine, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
• Remove pot from refrigerator and let stand 1 hour at room temperature. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, cayenne, pepper, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large, shallow dish.
• Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot with 2 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fat thermometer reaches 375 degrees. Drain and rinse chicken; do not pat dry. Working in batches of 4 to 5 pieces at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Immediately transfer to oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of flesh (do not touch bone) reads 165 degrees, about 15 minutes for white meat and 10 to 12 minutes for dark. Adjust heat to maintain oil temperature between 350 degrees and 375 degrees and return oil to 375 degrees between batches. Transfer chicken as fried to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet to drain. If serving cold, let cool completely, cover, and store in refrigerator up to 8 hours.

CAJUN CORNMEAL CRUSTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of the flour with the cornmeal, Cajun spice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Put the remaining 1 cup flour, buttermilk, and the cornmeal mixture respectively in 3 shallow dishes. Season the buttermilk with hot sauce, to taste.
• With the flat side of a cook's knife or the smooth side of a meat-pounder, pound each breast to equal thickness. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season with salt.
• Lightly coat each breast in flour and shake off any excess. Dip each breast into the buttermilk to coat and remove, shaking slightly so the excess buttermilk drains back into the bowl. Dredge the chicken in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off any excess coating. Lay the chicken on a piece of waxed paper.
• Heat a large (12-inch) cast iron skillet over medium heat with about 1/2 inch of oil. Lay 2 chicken breasts smooth-side down in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Drain chicken on a paper towel. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Place all chicken breasts on a rack over a baking sheet and bake until firm to the touch, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt, and serve immediately with mustard mayonnaise or sliced tomatoes.

CORNMEAL OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large shallow dish, combine the first 9 ingredients. Place the buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in buttermilk, then dip in bread crumb mixture, a few pieces at a time, and turn to coat. , Place in a 13x9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes; drizzle with butter. Bake until juices run clear, 30-40 minutes longer.

PERFECT CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken drumsticks and thighs in a bowl and pour enough buttermilk over chicken to cover. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• Combine flour, cornmeal, granulated onion, granulated garlic, thyme, salt, paprika, monosodium glutamate, baking powder, and cayenne pepper in a large, wide bowl.
• Remove chicken from buttermilk and shake off excess. Discard buttermilk. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
• Dip chicken into egg whites and press into flour mixture. Allow coated chicken to rest on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Fill a cast-iron skillet or deep fryer with vegetable oil about 1/3 full. Heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Fry chicken in hot oil in batches until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Thighs may take longer to fry than drumsticks. Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined tray to drain. Keep chicken warm in preheated oven while frying remaining pieces.

FRIED CHICKEN WITH CORNMEAL

Steps:

• Trim the chickens of as much obvious fat as possible.
• In a large shallow pan, stir together the lemon juice, kosher salt and hot sauce. Add the chicken pieces to the mixture and marinate, refrigerated, for at least two hours. Turn the chicken at least three times during the marination.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• In a doubled-up, large paper bag, mix together the cornmeal and salt. Put three or four pieces of chicken in the bag and shake until they are completely coated. Remove to a platter and continue until all the pieces are coated. Shake off excess cornmeal.
• In a large, oblong, deep roasting pan, pour in a half inch of vegetable oil. Put the pan in the preheated oven. After about 15 minutes, when the oil is hot, use tongs to gently place the chicken pieces in the pan, being careful not to crowd them. Cook on one side, about 15 to 20 minutes. Then turn on the other side and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure that the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Repeat this step, frying batches, until all the chicken is cooked.
• Transfer the chicken to a large platter and keep warm in a 250-degree oven. Before serving, sprinkle with fresh, chopped marjoram. Decorate the platter with sprigs of rosemary and thin slices of lemon.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 2 tablespoons minced thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup Dijon mustard and 2 eggs in medium bowl to blend.
• Using mallet or rolling pin, pound each chicken breast half between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/2- to 1/3-inch thickness. Dip pounded chicken first into mustard mixture and coat well, then into breadcrumb mixture and coat well; shake off excess breadcrumbs.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken to skillet; cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Repeat with remaining butter, oil and chicken.
• Bake chicken until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk together the buttermilk, the zest, the lemon juice, the oil, the shallots, the thyme, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne, add the chicken, stirring to coat it with the marinade, and let it marinate, covered and chilled, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. In another large bowl combine the cornmeal, the bread crumbs, the Parmesan, the parsley, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the paprika, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon, letting the excess marinade drip off, dip it in the egg wash, and dredge it in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off the excess. Arrange the chicken in one layer on a rack and let it dry for 30 minutes. (The chicken may be prepared up to this point 6 hours in advance and kept covered loosely and chilled.) Arrange the chicken, skin side up, in one layer in a lightly oiled jelly-roll pan, drizzling the butter over it, and bake it in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes, or until it is crisp and golden. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain. Serve the chicken warm or at room temperature.

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Take your cut up chicken pieces and skin them if you prefer. 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).
• 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. 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!
• Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot. Put in as many chicken pieces as the skillet can hold. Brown the chicken in HOT oil on both sides. 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.
• 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.