Kentucky Fried Chicken

[Dove]

Kentucky Fried Chicken (Close Clone Recipe)


3 Pounds Chicken

2 Packages Italian salad dressing mix

3 Tablespoons Flour

2 Teaspoons Salt

1/4 Cup Lemon juice

1 Cup Milk

1 1/2 Cups Pancake mix

1 Teaspoon Paprika

1/2 Teaspoon Sage

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

Make a paste out of the marinade ingredients. Coat chicken evenly. Stack chicken pieces in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least for several hours. Mix pancake mix with other seasonings.

Dip pieces of chicken in milk, then in pancake coating. Dust off excess. Lightly brown in skillet with 1/2 inch vegetable oil in it. Brown for 4 minutes each side.

Remove and place in a single layer on shallow baking pan. Seal with foil. Bake for 1 hour at 350 Uncover and baste again with milk. Return, uncovered, to oven heated to 400, to crisp for 10 minutes.

 

[carnivore]

hi Dove,
a question--how close in taste is this recipe to the Colonel's "original recipe"? Either way, it sounds great
I made some feeble attempts at duplicating the recipe awhile back, did a small amount of research, and what i found was that pressure frying had more to do with the taste than the ingredients involved (after i looked up prices of "true & safe" pressure fryers it seemed out of reach, so i quit).
I only assume that pressure-frying is the secret ingredient since i've tried MANY methods/forms of fried chicken and never come up with a texture or taste that was very close.

 

[Dove]

Kentuckey Fried Chicken

I havent tried it yet but it is the same one I saw on a cooking show that I saw a long time ago. Someone (Jed??) asked for KFC chicken awhile back and I saw this on a Secret Recipie site.
Lets let Atomic Jed try it......... :roll: :roll:
Marge

 

[carnivore]

lol Dove--does the phrase "Mikey likes it!" mean anything to you?
Atomic Jed--try it for us!!

 

[Dove]

Kentuckey Fried Chicken

That is the thought that came to my mind when I said..let Jed try it...
Marge

 

[Dove]

Kentuckey Fried Chicken

I saw another one for KFC that uses instant Tomato Soup packets.
Marge

 

[Atomic Jed]

Thanx Marge and ALL! Dag nag it!! Ya'll beat me to my response! Give it to"Mickey" (Jimmy) AKA "Jed" Yes, pressure cooking is certainly one of the "keys" Atomic Jed! My test facility (kitchen) not the other one, is now open for further scientific research! The chicken is thawing now! (Are WE cooking with GAS! HA HA! WE ARE THE BESTIST! Warm dishes to ALL! Atomic Jed! (said)!

 

[Atomic Jed]

Wow! Thats a whompin list of ingredients, and time. While I wait for defrosting, marination, and cooking time, I'm going to the "Drive-Thru"!!! ($3.99) combo meal! Anyone have a coupon? LOL! Atomic Jed!

 

[TomW]

I revived this thread to see if anyone else had thoughts to share on the Colonel's secret blend of herbs & spices.

To that end, allow me to share what I have concluded after taste-testing a lot of "interpretations": The ultimate secret is the use of a pressure fryer. I have three of various sizes, two of which are actually rated to pressure fry. :

One may enjoy the use of italian salad mix or dry tomato soup in baked chicken, but I found both brought their own unique flavors to the recipe while not approaching the KFC's unique taste.

Unfortunately, adding significantly more salt than one or two teaspoons per two cups flour does make a difference. MSG (as called out in many versions) would probably help, but that stuff literally gives me the jitters.

One story has it that Harland Sanders lifted his recipe from a neighbor named Eula Gordon. That recipe had promise, but it is either folk lore, or the Colonel ended up lopping out most of the tremendous amount of paprika specified by Ms. Gordon.

So far, my best recipe for pressure fried chicken coating incorporates a lot of salt & pepper, some various spices, and 5th Seasons Poultry Seasoning. Walmart used to sell the blend but stopped for whatever reason. And yes, it was this specific brand. Other brands made the mix taste quite different.

Being somewhat obsessive about little things like what is in a given blend of poultry seasoning, I scowered the Internet collecting everyone's recipe for poultry seasoning. Comparing the recipes, I could draw no conclusion as to what set 5th Seasons apart from the rest.

So now there are two culinary mysteries - What is KFC's recipe, and what is 5th Seasons' recipe.

Anyone else care to share interpretive KFC recipes?

Tom

 

[jennyema]

Make sure NEVER to use oil in a pressure cooker unless it is specifially designed to pressure fry!!


When I worked at KFC ohmy: it was my first job), the "secret seasonings" were added to flour. The chicken (which was not marinated) was floured, placed on sheet pans and then a stack of sheet pans were wheeled into the fryer, which was the size of a large refrigerator.

I can tell you that MSG does play an important role in the authentic taste.

 

[kitchenelf]

I have three of various sizes, two of which are actually rated to pressure fry. :

Funny, after you wrote this I kind of shut down Isn't two one too many? I'll even pay shipping! No?

 

[mrsmac]

My first job was at KFC and we put the secret herbs and spices into the flour and coated the chicken but then it was lowered into oil pressure cookers and cooked for about 12 minutes. We used to joke that 11 of the secret herbs etc were black pepper! I think its probably the cooking method is the key not as much the spices.

 

[jennyema]

My first job was at KFC and we put the secret herbs and spices into the flour and coated the chicken but then it was lowered into oil pressure cookers and cooked for about 12 minutes. We used to joke that 11 of the secret herbs etc were black pepper! I think its probably the cooking method is the key not as much the spices.

Both having our fisrt real jobs at KFC! It's a wonder we are still interested in food!

 

[Constance]

My fried chicken is better than Kentucky Fried, by a long shot. I think I posted the recipe here someplace.

 

[TomW]

I'll see you, and raise you...

My fried chicken is better than Kentucky Fried, by a long shot. I think I posted the recipe here someplace.

Them's dangerous words, ma'am.

I think I posted a map to a pirate's treasure here too.

Seriously, I would like to see your recipe if it can be located.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[mrsmac]

Both having our fisrt real jobs at KFC! It's a wonder we are still interested in food!

I think its Despite working there lol
It took me along time to be able to eat it again after I worked there and even now it has to be really fresh and hot.
Did you used to come home smelling like it after work too??

 

[Constance]

Here you go, Tom. There are no secret herbs and spices...it's the method that makes it so good.

Mamma Connie's Fried Chickien

Cut whole chicken into individual pieces. I don't recommend pre-cut chickens because the back is included in with the breast meat, making a piece too large to fry properly.

Season chicken pieces liberally with salt and pepper. Prepare a shallow pan of flour (3-4 cups), well-seasoned with more salt and pepper. Prepare a shallow bowl of beaten eggs (about 3) thinned with milk or water to the consistancy of heavy cream.
Pour canola oil into an electric skillet to the depth of 1-1/4" and preheat to 375 degrees. When light goes off, indicating temperature has been reached, coat chicken pieces one at a time, first in flour, then in egg mixture, then in flour again, and add to hot oil.
DO NOT TURN chicken until first side is nicely browned. Then turn, and put lid on ker-slaunch-wise, so chicken will continue browning, but also steam a little. When browned on both sides, remove and let drain on paper towels.
Turn down heat and pour most of the grease out of skillet, leaving about a quarter cup and all the little brown bits in pan. Stir in about 1/2 cups of flour remaining from coating, a little at a time, till a smooth roux is formed. Slowly stir in milk (about 2-3 cups, mixture should be thin), smoothing out any lumps, then turn heat back up to 350 degrees. Cook, stirring, till gravy is of desired consistancy. Taste, re-season with salt and pepper and about 1 tsp sugar.

This chicken will be tender but not greasy, because you've cooked it at a high enough temperature and haven't turned it over and over.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Constance; I agree with your technique, but not with saying that the spice/herb ingredients have little baring on the chicken. I thought that KFC chicken was marinated, or more accurately, brined. I've learned from a couple of people (in this thread) that it is not. And MSG is a large part of the flavor. And about the flavor, a big part of the KFC appeal is the crust. It is full flavored. I came close once, but didn't record the herbs and spices used, or the amounts.

Yesterday, my eldest daughter needed a ride to work. She was short on time and her husband had fixed her tater-tots seasoned with Lawreys seasoning salt and black pepper. I tasted one as we were driving to her workplace. What a great suprize I had when those humble chunks of baked spuds tasted amazingly like the crust of KFC original chicken.

My onw fried chicken is similar to your own in seasoning. It is also incredibly juicy and tender, though I cook both in the hot oil and finish in the oven. It's never greasy and is loved by all who have tried it. But it doesn't have that same explosion of flavor enjoyed in KFC chicken. My problem with the KFC is a combination of high price and how greasy it is.

I love Chester-Fried Chicken, which also uses a pressure fryer, but with fewer seasonings. And because of its location in a local supermarket, it's always more fresh, and less greasy.

Anyways, that's my two-cents.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Constance]

Goodweed, I didn't mean to imply that the extra seasoning doesn't make a difference in the taste...in fact, I have added some extra stuff from time to time. We just enjoy the taste of the juicy chicken and crispy crust without a lot of extra added flavors.
It's amazing how many people don't season their flour...that makes all the difference in the world.

.

 

[TomW]

Here you go, Tom. There are no secret herbs and spices...it's the method that makes it so good...

Thanks for posting, Constance.

I watched Alton Brown fry chicken in a similar fashion, and was quite intrigued with the high points of his running monologue as to why the method produced great results.

Unfortunately, for fear of burning, I do not think I could leave the chicken alone long enough on a side for the process to work.

Tom