Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg), cut into 8 pieces
• 500 ml buttermilk
• 1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
• 250 g plain flour
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 litre vegetable oil, for frying

Method

1. Marinate: Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is better).
2. Season flour: In a wide bowl, whisk flour with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and cayenne.
3. Heat oil: Pour oil into a heavy pan to 3 cm depth. Heat to 170°C.
4. Dredge: Lift chicken from buttermilk, let excess drip off, then press firmly into seasoned flour. Coat both sides. Place on a wire rack.
5. Fry: Carefully lower 3-4 pieces into oil. Fry 10-12 minutes, turning halfway, until deep golden and internal temp hits 75°C.
6. Rest: Transfer to a wire rack (not paper towels) and rest 5 minutes before serving.

Tips

• Marinate overnight — buttermilk tenderises and seasons the meat deeply
• Thermometer is essential — too cool = greasy, too hot = burnt outside, raw inside
• Rest on a rack, not paper — keeps the crust crispy
• Don’t crowd the pan — drops the oil temp and steams the chicken