Brown-bag fried chicken

Like a idiot I thought that this would be cooked like eh French do “en pupillote” or in paper, when you make an envelope of greaseproof paper and  bake some thing in it , normally fish or chicken .  It steams in its own juice and cook beautify steamed in its own juices.  I was to learn that it actually means you put all the spice coatings in a brown paper shopping bag and add the chicken give it all a good shake and that coats the chicken before you cover it. Also I have seen recipes that have called for the use of evaporated milk, I have never tried this, I can image that it really helps to get a sweet crisp skin. It takes about 1 litre/1¾ pints sunflower oil to deep fry and afterwards you can not really do any thing else with it so except filter and reuse to beep fry more chicken.

You will need

1 whole medium chicken

7 tbsp plain white flour

1 tbsp dried oregano, crumbled

1 tbsp dried thyme leaves

1 tbsp dried rosemary leaves, crumbled

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp ground white pepper

1 tbsp sea salt flakes

100ml/3½fl oz milk

2 eggs, beaten

First, you have to cut your chicken up in to, 2 chicken breasts wing bone left on, cut in two diagonally, 2 chicken legs and 2 chicken thighs.  Keep the skin on all the chicken.  Then rinse the chicken in little cold water to get rid of any bone fragments and dry them off with a piece of paper towel.

Now get your eggs and milk in a bowl and whisk them together.  Then get a bag.  Now you might not have a paper bag that is then quality of a grocery bag that you find in the US at hand.  So if you are like me any plastic freezer bag will do.  Once you have got yore bag just add all the dry spices to it and give it a shake so they all get a good mix.

Now you need to get your oil hot before you can start to cook so set your fryer 180c/350f.  Now if you are cooking it in a sauce pan and do not have a thermometer then heat it until you can drop in some bread and the bread floats straight to the top and fry rapidly.  Also, if you are using a pan be carful not to over fill it you do not want hot fat going over the sides and on to the stove setting your kitchen on fire.

Dip the chicken until it is completely coated in the egg milk mix then place it in the bag, do this so you have all the chicken in the bag.  Then twist the top to trap as much air in the bag and give every thing a really good shake.  If you have to just do it one piece at a time for a better coating as you do need a rather big bag to get every thing moving about.

Then just lower it in to your hot oil and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes. Keeps an eye on the chicken turning it so that every thing get nice and crispy.  Then fish it out and put it on some kitchen paper and let brain for a moment.

Now all you need is some fries, corn on the cob, coleslaw and a good dollop of ketchup and you have a winning dinner.