3 to 6 cups vegetable oil
(more or less depending on pot used)
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, or 3 pounds boneless
chicken breast
3 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream or water
Breading:
2 1/3 cups soy flour or real flower if not on a diet
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place a heavy pot over medium-high heat with at least
1-inch of vegetable oil for boneless chicken and 2
inches for whole pieces. Heat oil to 350 degrees F; it
is important to monitor and maintain the temperature, or
the soy flour breading and your oil will burn. (Portable
deep fryers at home are great for this.)
In a medium bowl, mix the eggs and cream to make an
egg wash. In a separate larger bowl, mix all the
breading ingredients together.
Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Dip it
first in the breading, then in the egg wash, and then
back in the breading again, making sure to coat well on
all sides. Pat off any excess breading and then
carefully place into hot oil and fry until golden brown
and crisp, just a few minutes. Remove and drain on paper
towels.
Boneless chicken breasts, if thinly cut, may cook all
the way by frying alone, but whole chicken will not
because of how fast soy flour browns. Or go for real
flower. It is best to place any chicken you fry with soy
flour on a sheet pan and finish by baking at 350 degrees
F for an additional 10 minutes for boneless chicken and
20 to 25 minutes more for cut up chicken pieces that
have bones. The internal temperature of the chicken
should register 165 degrees F. Serve immediately.
Cook's Note: Soy flour is made from toasted soybeans
and has already been "cooked." Therefore it has a
tendency to brown faster than plain flour when frying.
Try this same breading for onion rings, baked pork
chops, okra, mozzarella sticks, mushrooms, onion rings
and eggplant.
