KFC Oringinal Recipe Chicken Tenders? Close but no cigar!

[Tailgating is my game]

Regardless it looks great! 

I agree!

[Steph]

I think having the right attire is definitely what was needed. I told him not to throw away that old uniform that it might come in handy one day. Lol! Regardless, it was really good. I'd eat it again as is no problem.

[teesquare]

Great looking grub RG!...Keep that up and I WILL look up your address and surprise you around dinner time....

Just on thought about KFC...I think they use pressure fryers - which speed up the cook time - but would also drive the flavors deeper into eh meat.....

I would LOVE to have had a pressure fryer for this test but I am fairly certain that they (the media folks) didn't use one. As a matter of fact, I even followed their suggestion of cooking at 350° so as not to overbrown and intensify the herbs, like they did "Turns out the frying oil was too hot, causing the breading to brown too much, which overpowered the taste of the herbs and spices. For the next couple batches, Schumacher tried double dipping into the spice and flour mixture. Too much coating, tasters decided. With the oil temperature just right at 350 degrees, the chicken soaked in buttermilk and coated just once in the breading mixture, we had our final tasting. How was it? Well, really good. In fact, tasters agreed the test kitchen fried chicken was even better than the Colonel's."

I do think that the herbs were too overpowering but I cooked at 350° and at first even had it at 335° so I am not sure what went wrong there. Maybe another test is in order. I did buy lots of chicken tenders, lol. I have 2 more packs

And... was you basil fresh or dried> What kind of basil. There are a number of varieties - and just like with oregano - the flavor and intensity of flavor varies a lot between the cultivars.

From the article "We bought all new herbs and spices — common grocery store brands — for the testing. We used all-purpose flour and standard table salt"
So that's what I used, standard in a plastic jar spices. So, to answer your question - cheapo dried spices like they used! I can't picture Colonel Sanders using fresh basil although the image of that makes me grin

That is a funny picture...but - i was thinking dried also.... I can't see a fast food chain using fresh. We grow a few varieties for our own use - but if a recipe calls for dried...I used dried.

[DWard51]

When the Chicago Tribune put the recipe to the test, they shook on a little MSG after it was fried and did not put it in the spice mix.  I know several have commented on the pressure fryer the stores use, but in the video on the Tribune news page, they used a regular "old school" cast iron pan.

Also a user in another forum posted a version of KFC gravy using the seasoned flour from this recipe:

1T butter
1/4c seasoned breading flour
All the cracklings strained from oil
2c chicken broth
1c milk

I have not tried it, but it seems reasonable....

[cookiecdcmk]

I used this recipe today and no pictures as they would not pass the taste test.  Cooked at 350 with one pass through the egg wash and spice mixture.  It was good with a little of the Colonel taste, but just not the same.  It is just good fried chicken.  I do think what others have said, that you certainly need to use the deep fried pressure cooker which most of us will never have.

[cookiecdcmk]

This is a continuation of my previous post about this recipe.  I tried something new, pressure cooked the raw chicken for 7 minutes.  Then dipped in the egg and spice mixture twice, and deep fried until the coating just started to brown.  The flavor is good but still not KFC.  Also, the breading mixture even with two times was not as thick as KFC; do not know what they could do different.  I will still use this recipe, but need to go to KPC when I get the urge.