What you need:
A package of drum sticks bought by accident (Or any cut of chicken)
Flour
"Secret Spices" (Salt, Pepper, Onion and Garlic Powder, Coriander, Cumin, Italian Seasoning, Parsley, Paprika [for flavor and color] Chili Powder [for kick] Thyme, Tumeric [to make them that lovely golden color] Poultry Seasoning. So there's my 13 herbs and spices, well more since Italian Seasoning has a bunch of stuff in it.
Canola Oil
What you need to do:
The amounts of Secret Spice are up to you, but you only have to add a pinch of Tumeric for color, you could add yellow Curry Powder instead, but again, just a pinch as the flavor is very strong. So first make a spice blend dry rub. I add roughly 1 to 1 1/2 TBS of salt and then approx 1 tsp of each of the rest of the spices, except for chili powder and tumeric, I add a pinch of those to avoid too much heat and too strong of flavor. Whisk the spices and herbs into a large bowl. (HINT, if using dried herbs which is all I use, mash them together in your palm first as it strengthens their flavor).
Using your hands, rub the spice mixture all over your chicken pieces and set aside for a minimum of one hour or up to three hours.
Pre-heat oven to 350 and prep a cookie sheet lined with foil and topped with a cooling rack. (If you don't have a cooling rack, just line a sheet with foil) The cooling rack will help the bottom of the chicken get burned and help ensure even cooking. It also helps some of the oil drain.
Get a deep, large pot and fill 1/3 of the way with Canola oil. Using a candy thermometer, wait for the oil to get to 350 degrees at close to high high heat. Meanwhile dredge the seasoned chicken in flour that has been seasoned with additional salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder, and paprika (about 1 tspn of each). Using tongs coat the chicken pieces and shake off any additional flour. When the oil is at 350, add the chicken carefully. If using drums, add no more than 3-4 pieces. The oil will bubble and then the temp will lower. You will be constantly checking the temperature of the oil and adjusting the heat of the stove to try to keep it as close to 350 as possible. Meanwhile dredge the next batch of chicken in the flour. Gently turn the chicken in the pot once. It only needs to fry until the skin is golden, about 5 minutes.
Remove the chicken and place it on the cookie sheet. Wait for the oil come back to 350, and add the next batch. If you are cooking a whole chicken, you would add no more than one breast and a wing at a time, perhaps a thigh and two drums, never crowd the pot. Your tongs may get caked with flour, just wash them or get new clean tongs.
Once all of the chicken is fried, put the cookie sheet in the oven to continue roasting until the chickens are cooked through. The timing will depend on what size and cuts of meat you are using, roughly 15-25 minutes. This will also give you time to work on your sides (fried okra perhaps, cooked in the same oil you fried the chicken in) mashed potatoes, or macaroni and cheese.
Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked through and enjoy!
