Greetings fellow culinary enthusiasts! I recently decided to follow a recipe I saw in a magazine. It was a relatively involved recipe for fried chicken that included a 24 hour marinate in brine water and a 12 hour marinate in buttermilk. Taste test results did not represent the efforts I had put in. So, I concluded that I should go back to the quick and easy method that results in something my family will actually eat with no leftovers.

Ultimate Fried Chicken

Select boneless, skinless chicken either white or dark meat. Cut three large breasts or five medium thighs into one half inch slices. Mix two eggs beaten and one cup milk in a medium sized bowl. Add a dash or two of salt and pepper. Soak chicken pieces in the mixture for about ten minutes in the bowl out at room temperature. Prepare a mixture of two cups masa, salt, pepper, and seasoning (I used Italian seasoning and garlic powder) in another medium sized bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces through the dry mixture and let set on a platter for about ten minutes.

Fill a medium skillet one third full of vegetable oil and heat on medium high. You can test the oil after a few minutes by sprinkling a few grains of masa on oil to see if it fries. When oil is ready, cook in about four batches and fry each side of chicken for approximately four minutes. Drain on a plate covered with paper towels. Chicken should be crisp and golden brown.

Extra, extra bonus Information

Use paper plates for preparation and draining to save time and energy. Paper plates are biodegradable, so don’t feel bad for the environment. The masa gives the chicken a crisp corn meal taste that reminds me of fried seafood that I can’t really afford right now. You can serve chicken with your favorite dipping sauce. I made a sauce of half ketchup, half mayonnaise and a dash of Worcestershire.

This will serve about four people if you include a side dish and takes about one hour to prepare. Enjoy!