When I hear “fried chicken”, I immediately think of Colonel Harland Sanders and his Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) franchise. However, the Colonel is not the creator of fried chicken. The history of deep frying chicken in lard is older than the Colonel. If we go back in history to the times of knights in shining armor and damsels in distress, poaching chicken in a pot–or pottage–was common among the English commoners. Meanwhile the king and those with power could have their meats roasted.

So where, then, did fried chicken come from?

In the south of the United States, fried chicken has a name for itself. It is said that this cooking technique was brought over by the Scottish immigrants in the 17th century. While the Scottish may have poached meats like their English neighbors, they have also been deep frying meat since the middle ages.

The introduction of fried chicken to the American south then came to be, when Scottish immigrants–along with other European groups of people–settled in the United States. And since then, fried chicken was here to stay.

Although I am not a southerner, I do like fried chicken. It makes for a delicious meal–but you won’t find me consuming it on a daily basis. I don’t advise on deep fried food every day either. However, as a treat, it’s worth it.

I came upon a 70’s recipe in The Chef’s Secret Cook Book, written by Louis Szathmary. The recipe calls for a lot of sodium, so I tweaked it and made my own. The result: a delicious smelling kitchen and full tummies for my husband and myself.

Here’s how to make this flavorful 70’s Fried Chicken:

Recipe:

1. ½ a whole chicken, cut into pieces
2. ½ c. Flour
3. 2 Eggs
4. ½ c. Milk
5. 1 c. Breadcrumbs
6. ¼ tsp. Salt
7. 1 tsp. Paprika
8. ½  tsp Black pepper
9. ½  tsp. Celery seed
10. 1 tsp. Garlic powder
11. Frying oil

Start by combining the salt, black pepper, paprika, celery seed, and garlic powder. Take one tablespoon of the herb mixture and rub it over the chicken pieces.

Next, set up your stations: Pour the flour into its own dish; Beat the eggs with the milk in another dish; Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining herb mixture.

Then take one chicken piece and cover it in the flour, dip into the egg wash, and then the breadcrumbs. Continue with the rest of the chicken pieces.

Next, fry the chicken pieces in oil until golden brown and thoroughly cooked, about 20 minutes. Lastly, set the fried chicken on a rack to cool and to drain off any excess oil, and enjoy!^-^