#966 - Homemade Fried Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 whole chickens (cut into pieces) or 6 lbs. of pre-cut chicken pieces
1 cereal bowl filled with milk
Bowl #1: 3 cups flour, 2 TBSP garlic salt, 3 tsp. fresh ground pepper, 3 tsp. paprika
Bowl #2: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper, 2 beaten egg yolks, 1 1/2 cups water
canola oil for frying (or your favorite frying oil)

Cut chicken into pieces (or remove chicken pieces from package). Lightly rinse chicken pieces in water and place into a colander to drain them. Fill a cereal bowl with milk. Place wax paper on your counter to hold battered chicken pieces until you are ready to fry them. In bowl #1 add 3 cups flour, 2 TBSP garlic salt, 3 tsp. fresh ground pepper and 3 tsp. paprika--stir with a spoon until mixed. In bowl #2 add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper, 2 beaten egg yolks, and 1 1/2 cups water--stir with a spoon until mixed. For each piece of chicken--dip chicken piece in milk, dip and coat both sides of chicken piece in bowl #1, dip and coat both sides of chicken piece in bowl #2, dip and coat chicken piece AGAIN in bowl #1--place coated chicken piece on wax paper. Repeat with all chicken pieces. In a LARGE cast iron skillet, add 3/4" to 1" of oil--heat the oil (if you have a candy thermometer heat to at least 350 degrees). Fry a few pieces at a time until well browned (make sure chicken pieces do not touch each other), turning halfway through to cook both sides. Place fried chicken pieces on paper towels to drain. Repeat with all chicken pieces. You can turn your oven to 200 degrees and place fried chicken pieces in a large pan in the oven to keep warmed while you are frying all of the chicken pieces.