Our scratchmade Fried Chicken Dinner is without a doubt the signature dish at Kennesaw State University. It’s typically served with greens (often sourced from the campus farm), smashed red potatoes, made-from-scratch mac and cheese, fresh green beans and homemade cornbread. We knew it was a hit when Thursday became the busiest day in the dining hall and we had to add an extra service area to accommodate demand.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 lb.)
1 qt. buttermilk
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. kosher salt
1 cup water
1 oz. hot sauce
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne

Steps

  1. Butcher chicken by removing drumsticks, thighs and wings. Remove the back and split breast in half. (You will have 8 pieces, not including the back; save back for making stock.)
  2. In large, shallow bowl, mix buttermilk, 1/4 cup salt, water and hot sauce.
  3. Place all pieces of chicken into buttermilk mixture and refrigerate overnight.
  4. When ready to cook, combine flour, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne on tray. Remove chicken from buttermilk brine and place into flour mixture. Toss thoroughly to coat.
  5. In deep fryer, heat vegetable oil to 350 F. Carefully place chicken pieces into hot oil; cook until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165 F. Remove from oil and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings