Nana's Famous Fried Chicken
Nana's Famous Fried Chicken, a beloved recipe from my childhood, is a testament to the comforting and flavorful dishes our mothers create. This dish holds special memories, and the name Nana's Famous Fried Chicken was given by my nephew when he was young.
Nana's Famous Fried Chicken, a beloved recipe from my childhood, is a testament to the comforting and flavorful dishes our mothers create. This dish holds special memories, and the name Nana's Famous Fried Chicken was given by my nephew when he was young.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 6 eggs
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon water
- 5 pounds chicken parts (see notes)
- 1 pint oil (see notes)
- 1 can breadcrumbs (15 ounces) italian-style
- 1 cup parmesan cheese (yes, in the green can. cope.)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder (i use granulated garlic)
- Carbohydrate 27.2145655216477 g
- Cholesterol 622.333333333333 mg
- Fat 178.756619797066 g
- Fiber 1.73997187244059 g
- Protein 45.1482528126882 g
- Saturated Fat 20.1283886192129 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (430g)
- Sodium 639.456640625291 mg
- Sugar 25.4745936492071 g
- Trans Fat 10.4052554397721 g
- Calories 1883 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix the eggs, 1 T oil, and 1 T water in a shallow dish/bowl big enough to dip a piece of chicken into. In a second shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and dried basil.
- With one hand, dip the chicken pieces one at a time into the egg mixture. Place the chicken into the breading dish and use the *other* hand to cover the chicken with bread crumbs. This way, you won't bread your fingers. Bread all the chicken pieces one at a time that way, and place them on a dish that will fit in your fridge (layers are fine). Let rest for 30 minutes to 3 hours in the fridge.
- If you're making pancakes, mix the bread crumbs and add 1 to 1.5 cups of water to the mixture to make a thick batter, then let sit covered in the fridge until the chicken is done frying.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Fill a heavy frying pan (I use cast iron. Mom often used whatever she had handy, and for a while, she used an electric skillet) with enough oil to go up about halfway on the chicken pieces. I started with about a pint in my 10-inch iron skillet. Heat on medium-high until a piece of breading sizzles when it hits the oil.
- Fry a few pieces at a time (as many as will fit in your skillet -- I did 3 at a time), turning once, until both sides are browned as brown as you like it. Place the fried pieces on a cookie sheet in the oven. Mom says to tell you it's not done yet. Keep frying and adding the new pieces to the oven to finish cooking. By the time you're done, the pieces you put in first will be perfect.
- To make the pancakes, just fry 1/4 cup or so portions of the batter, turning once, until they're as brown as the chicken or a little browner. Don't worry if the oil foams up so you can't see the pancakes -- it'll die down in time for you to flip them.
Dry breadcrumbs demand more liquid binding agents than fresh crumbs because they absorb moisture rapidly upon contact. This recipe employs a dual-hand dredging technique using eggs mixed with water and oil to seal the chicken exterior completely before the crumb layer goes on. Allowing the breaded pieces to rest in the refrigerator for thirty minutes to three hours lets the dry coating hydrate properly, preventing the crust from detaching in the skillet.
Heat vegetable oil in a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until a stray crumb sizzles immediately. Fry the chicken in small batches to maintain oil temperature, browning both sides before transferring the pieces to a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven to finish cooking thoroughly. Relying on oven heat rather than pan-frying until fully cooked prevents the exterior cheese and breadcrumbs from burning before the meat reaches safety zones. Cooks lacking a digital probe can gauge readiness by piercing the thickest meat section to check that juices run clear rather than pink. Leftover batter converts easily into savory pancakes by mixing water directly into the remaining crumb blend.
