Like I do with all the chicken I make, I marinate it in a brine overnight. You can buy brines in the store, they are known as marinades and there are all kinds. I like to just make my own. Really, a brine is just water, or chicken or beef stock and some spices and maybe some olive oil and a touch of vinegar. You can use you imagination. After all, all you are going to do is soak the chicken in some liquid with some flavoring, so you can be as creative as you want.

For this brine I used 2 quarts of water, a half cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 2 tablespoons of powdered garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1/8th of a cup of lemon juice.

Before I put the chicken in, I used a big fork and punced holes in the chicken so that the flavors would seep in.

I put the chicken in the brine, then in the fridge, overnight.

To fry the chicken, I use a fryer specifically made for frying. I see a lot of recipes where they tell you to just put the oil in a pot, heat it up and then drop your chicken or whatever in it to cook. My problem with that is that the oil can spatter, you have to use a thermometer to get the heat of the oil right (different meats have to deep fry at different temperatures for different amounts of time) and I just think it’s too sloppy. Besides, when you are working with hot oil, there is always the risk of fire. With the deep fryer I use, there is a lid, there is a temperature control setting so you know when the right temperature has been reached, and it is designed for frying with hot oil. Best to use the right tool for the right job. Better safe, than sorry. You’ll see a link to what I use below.

When you fry chicken, the whole point is to dredge the chicken in a flour/spice/egg mixture. It’s not hard. Take 2 cups of all purpose flour, put it in a large bowl or pot, add a teaspoon of salt, pepper and any other spices you like.

Then Mix 2 eggs together.

Dip the chicken in the egg, then dredge it in the flour, then drop it in the deep fryer. If you have one like the one below with the temperature gauge on it, fry it on 375 degrees for 15 minutes, then pull it out and serve.

For crispier chicken, sort of like you get at the fast food places, dredge the chicken in crushed up corn flakes.

You will need to experiment a bit with the cooking times. If when you are frying it and the chicken starts to burn, take it out. Don’t forget to put the lid on the fryer.

Don’t go far away from the fryer and keep your eye on it and the chicken for safety and to keep your eye on the chicken. If you are cooking more than one piece, take one out after 10 minutes and cut it open and see if it’s done. if not you will know you will have to cook it a bit longer, maybe another 5 minutes of so.

Deep Fryers are a tool. And like all tools, you have to learn to use them. Once you do, it will be safer and you will get the results you want. Cooking is a learning process. So enjoy the journey and have fun!