Happy Fourth of July!! Hotdogs and hamburgers, baked beans and corn on the cob…the list of 4th of July food is pretty consistent. But when I think of truly American food, nothing jumps out to me more than fried chicken. Crunchy and spicy on the outside, hot and juicy on the inside, I’ve adapted this recipe from Ree Drummond’s Pioneer Woman Cooks, where she deep fries the chicken and finishes it off in the oven; a great technique which ensures complete cooking without burning. I honestly don’t recommend deep frying on a boat; there’s risk of spilled and splattering hot oil. (see my note about Fire Blankets.) But once in a blue moon, secured at a dock with little risk of rocking, I will pull out the pans and the abundance of oil and fry up some Southern Fried Chicken.

My Ree Drummond cookbook, shared with my daughter, has seen better days, thanks to Rosie the St. Bernard. But I managed to find the pages I needed. This recipe has been Galley Pirates adapted.

Southern Fried Chicken

2 cut up fryer chickens (or 1 cut up chicken plus 6 extra legs if you’re a dark meat person)
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour
3 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning or similar seasoning
3 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
3 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper or to taste
1/2 cup of milk
A lot of canola or vegetable oil for frying (about a half gallon)

Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly and place in a large ziplock bag. Pour 1 quart of buttermilk into the bag. Zip tight and maybe double bag. Place in the icebox for 6-24 hours. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and let rest about 30 minutes before frying.

Preheat your oven to 350º.

Pour the Canola oil into In a large covered fry pan to about 3″ deep. Set over a medium high burner. You’ll want to start frying when the oil has reached about 350º in heat.* The easiest way to test that temperature is to place a couple kernels of popcorn into the oil. When the popcorn has popped the temperature has reach about 350º.

* a side note about safety. Know where your fire blanket is. This is true no matter what you’re doing but critically important when you are frying in a pan of hot oil. Fire blankets aren’t just for boaters; land kitchens should have them too.

Meanwhile mix the dry ingredients in your largest bowl. Add the milk and mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Drain the chicken from the buttermilk in a colander.

Start pressing the chicken pieces into he flour mixture, pushing large bits of flour onto the chicken, creating soon-to-be “crunchies”, the best part of fried chicken.

Once the popcorn has popped and the oil is sufficiently hot, gently place the chicken into the holt oil with metal tongs. Do not over crowd. You may end up frying only 4 pieces at a time.

Fry for 5-8 minutes, then gently turn the chicken to fry the other side. The hardest part about frying chicken is to not knock off all the breading. So don’t turn them frequently, just as needed and be gentle with the tongs. Fry for another 5 minutes then place each piece of chicken on a platter, ready for the oven.

Repeat this until all of the chicken has been fried, then place all chicken on a roasting pan and pop in your oven to finish cooking. Let the chicken roast for another 10 minutes.

Carefully place the fried chicken onto a platter or in a large bowl and serve.