CRISPY CURRY FRIED CHICKEN

Crispy Curry Fried Chicken image

Number Of Ingredients 12

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2 tablespoons curry powder, such as Madras
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon celery seed or ground cardamom
1 tablespoon grated lime zest plus 8 wedges of lime
1 cup whole-fat plain yogurt
1 whole chicken, cut for frying into 8 pieces
Salt and pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable, safflower, or peanut oil, for frying

Steps:

In a small bowl, mix together the curry, chili powder, onion and garlic powders, poultry seasoning, celery seed or ground cardamom, and lime zest, and set aside.
Combine half of the spice mixture with the yogurt. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Coat the chicken with the yogurt. This can be done as much as 24 hours ahead. Keep the chicken, covered, in the refrigerator until about 30 minutes before you are ready to cook it.
Place the flour in a large brown paper sack, add the remainder of the spice mix to it, and shake the bag. Add 4 chicken pieces and shake to coat.
In a large pot at least five inches high, heat 2 1/2 to 3 inches of frying oil over medium to medium-high heat. Insert the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. If rapid bubbles come out and away from the handle, the oil is ready. Fry the 4 pieces of coated chicken for 12 minutes, turning once. Coat the remaining chicken while the first batch fries up. Cool the chicken on a rack and sprinkle with a little extra salt. Allow the oil to heat back up for a minute or two, then fry the second batch. Serve with the lime wedges to squirt over the crispy curry chicken.