CREOLE FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the Brine:.
• In a large mixing bowl whisk together water, sugar, worcestershire, hot sauce, salt and granulated garlic until sugar and salt dissolve.
• Add chicken pieces, cover and refrigerate 2-8 hours.
• For the Spice Blend:.
• In a small mixing bowl combine the black pepper, oregano, granulated garlic, onion powder, cayenne, white pepper and celery salt.
• Mix well.
• Set aside half your spice blend.
• Add remaining spice blend to flour and mix well.
• In a deep pot add oil.
• Heat to 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile:.
• Set up a cookie sheet with a rectangular cake rack.
• Remove chicken from brine, setting each piece on rack.
• Using half of the reserved spice blend sprinkle both sides of each piece of chicken.
• Coat in flour mixture-return to rack.
• Let stand for five minutes.
• Coat in flour one more time-return to rack.
• Let stand for an additional five minutes.
• Watching for boil over add chicken 3 to 4 pieces at a time, cooking breasts with thighs, legs with wings.
• There should be no more than four pieces of chicken cooking at a time, chicken should be covered with hot oil by the time the fourth piece is added.
• Cook for 7 minutes, turn.
• Cook an additional 7 minutes.
• I use a meat sensor for the larger pieces.
• Remove cooked chicken to a clean rack, dusting both sides again with the creole spice blend.
• Repeat cooking process with remaining chicken.
• Repeat dusting of both sides of cooked chicken when second batch is complete.
• Note: I have made this recipe three times. The last time I had huge thighs and breasts to cook so I did those two at a time, which made for 3 rounds of frying. I also added 2 minutes to total cooking time. I pull the wings 2-3 minutes before the legs. Expect very brown fried chicked with a nice kick!