Recipe: Loaves & Fishes' Fried Chicken

This week, Loaves & Fishes is bringing back a summertime favorite: fried chicken. Try out Licia Kassim Householder and Sybille van Kempen‘s recipe, found in The Loaves & Fishes Farm Series Cookbook: Featuring the Food Store, yourself or visit the Bridgehampton cookshop.

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

8 cups peanut or vegetable oil
1 whole chicken (3–4 lb), cut into eighths*
1 large egg, beaten
2 tbsp chili powder
4 cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions: Heat a large, wide-mouthed pot with oil on medium-high heat to 350°F on a thermometer. Place chicken pieces into a large bowl with the egg, salt, pepper and chili powder. Toss well with your fingers until chicken is completely coated in the egg and spice mixture. Season flour with salt and pepper in another bowl and place chicken into bowl. Toss until chicken is well coated with flour. Gently lower the chicken breasts first into the hot oil. Cook for about 20 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove with a spider strainer or slotted spoon and place onto a cooling rack set on a sheet tray. Next, add the legs and thighs and cook 10–15 minutes; remove to rack. Lastly, add in chicken wings and cook 7–10 minutes. Enjoy immediately or keep warm on rack over tray in a 200°F oven.

*Smart Tip: Cut the backbone out of the chicken with a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Cut chicken cleanly in half, separating the two breasts. Remove the leg from each side and cut into two pieces, separating the leg and the thigh. Remove the wings.