Baconated Fried Chicken

Total Time: 25 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 24 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 8 -12 pieces cut-up fryer chickens (foster farms)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup filtered hickory bacon drippings
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 4 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 3/4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• peanut oil

Recipe

• 1 note: strain hot bacon drippings through a fine sieve to remove all debris before using. use real allspice, not a cinnamon//clove/nutmeg substitute.
• 2 place chicken into a large saucepan (with accompanying lid); wearing disposable gloves, sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground pepper; rub seasonings well into chicken; pour bacon drippings over chicken; rub again until chicken is thoroughly coated; refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours to overnight, turning as needed.
• 3 in a large bowl add the breading ingredients except the flour and cornstarch; combine ingredients well using a whisk; add the flour and cornstarch; whisk well until mixture is thoroughly blended.
• 4 in a medium to large bowl, beat 4 large eggs; add the chicken pieces and turn to coat well; transfer a few pieces chicken at a time into the breading container; roll chicken in breading until well-coated; gently shake excess breading from chicken; place breaded chicken on a platter and repeat procedures with remaining chicken; let chicken rest a few minutes to absorb breading.
• 5 add the manufacturer's recommended amount frying oil for deep-frying; place deep-fryer basket into place in deep-fryer; preheat fryer to 315°f (or preheat enough fat to immerse chicken completely in deep heavy stovetop pot between 315°f to 325°f, using a standard deep-fryer thermometer to gauge).
• 6 carefully drop each piece breaded chicken one at a time, gently into the deep-fryer basket without crowding (if a standard size home fryer is used, add no more than 2-3 pieces at a time); (if stovetop frying, gently place breaded chicken pieces into hot oil using tongs, turning once halfway through frying duration).
• 7 fry chicken between 15-18 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked, depending on chicken portions/sizes (juices should run clear when chicken is done); blot chicken lightly to absorb excess oil.
• 8 maintain frying fat temperature for each new batch and repeat the same cooking/steaming procedures for the remaining chicken.
• 9 reheat chicken before serving, on grill-inserted broiler pan(s) in a preheated oven until warmed (keep oven temperature at 170°f (do not keep chicken in oven over 25 minutes, since it will lose moisture and flavor at that point).
• 10 serve and enjoy!