Channel your Inner Chef – Signature Recipes Revealed

At Colonial Williamsburg Resorts we are proud of our authentic southern regional cuisine, inspired by the gardens of Colonial Williamsburg and made fresh with locally sourced ingredients. We have an ever-changing menu of favorites at all our dining outlets from our historic taverns to hotel restaurants, but its’ our signature dishes that remain the most popular with our guests year after year. We want to share our Southern Fried Chicken recipe, offered at many of our restaurants and taverns. Now, you can try this recipe at home, or order from Sweet Tea & Barley curbside.

Southern Fried Chicken – 6 servings

• ¾ cup                          All Purpose Flour
• 1/8 cup                        Corn Starch
• 1/8 cup                        Potato Starch (double corn starch if not available)
• 1 Tablespoon              Onion Powder
• 1 Tablespoon              Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon              Salt & Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon                   Paprika
• 1                                    Whole chicken (cut approx. 8 pieces)
• 1 gallon                        Oil
• 1 gallon                        Brine (use your favorite brine, we use a simple salt and sugar brine)

Sweet Tea & Barley at the Williamsburg Lodge

Method

1. Combine first 7 ingredients thoroughly and reserve in a covered container until needed.
2. Rinse all chicken with water and place in brine for 8 to 24 hours. Skip this step if you do not want to brine.
3. Rinse chicken and pat dry when out of brine. Leave at room temperature for an hour before frying process.
4. Heat oil to 325 degrees F in a deep fryer.
5. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Let sit in flour mix for 5-10 minutes making sure the chicken pieces are fully covered in the mix.
6. When chicken reaches 165-degree F, remove from fryer and place on a rack, let cool slightly and serve. Repeat process until chicken is all done.