Should you have a hankering for Kentucky Fried Chicken you can now make the Colonel’s no-longer-secret recipe from the comfort and convenience of your own home. You just need a truckload of herbs and spices.
“The recipe for KFC chicken used to be a closely guarded secret. However, a former KFC employee recently leaked the alleged “11 secret herbs and spices” to the world – and after extensive testing, the recipe checks out.
Joe Ledington is the nephew of KFC founder Colonel Sanders. As a kid, it was his job to mix the “secret recipe” of herbs and spices in large batches. Last year, Ledington shared the recipe with a reporter from The Chicago Tribune. To put Ledington’s claims to the test, the outlet conducted a cooking experiment and concluded that the final product tasted “indistinguishable” from chicken purchased from KFC.”
Lifehacker
So much for employing loyal family members!
What the video doesn’t tell you – some tips to achieve the best fried chicken:
- Use lard or a neutral flavoured vegetable oil, preferably one with a high smoke point like canola or peanut.
- The chicken should be at room temperature not straight out of the fridge, 30 mins on the bench will do it, slightly less time in warm weather.
- Heat the oil before cooking your first batch and cook in small batches keeping the oil very hot but not smoking. If your oil is not hot enough your chicken will be soggy, oil too hot and your chicken won’t be cooked right through. You could use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached. The oil will cool slightly each time chicken is added.
- Cool the chicken in a wire rack rather than paper towels to stop the coating going soggy.
The Famous Original Recipe
Ingredients:
- Chicken parts of your choice
- 2 cups flour
- 4 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of msg (optional, is in the original recipe)
- Egg and milk
Instructions:
- Prepare oil in a cast-iron pot to fry.
- In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl beat the egg and milk.
- Dip your chicken into the egg mix first and then into the flour & spice mix, patting the chicken to coat well.
- Finally, fry the chicken in the pot for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Let it cool and then serve.
The dry coating quantity is quite large but could be premixed and kept in an airtight container if you are cooking for 1-2 people. Or you could halve the quantities by using 1 cup of flour, 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons each of black pepper, celery salt, garlic salt, ground ginger, white pepper & mustard and 1/2 teaspoon each of thyme and basil.
Enjoy, and let The BDF readers know how yours turned out.
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