Name: Herb-and-Spice Southern Fried Chicken
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 2 frying chickens, weighing no more than 3 pounds each, cut up for frying; 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (about 8 large cloves); 4 cups buttermilk or plain all natural yogurt, stirred until smooth; 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; Lard or peanut oil, for frying; 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon ground mace; 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 2 teaspoons crumbled dried basil; 2 teaspoons bay leaves ground to a powder (use a spice mill or blender); 2 teaspoons crumbled dried oregano; 2 teaspoons crumbled dried sage; 2 teaspoons crumbled dried thyme; 1 teaspoon salt

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Herb-and-Spice Southern Fried ChickenCookbook cover image courtesy of Random House

A certain well-known take-out chicken with eleven herbs and spices is not the only Southern fried chicken that is seasoned with a complex blend of herbs and spices; it is just one of many. You can experiment with the combination until you have your own unique blend. If you don't have a couple of the spices on hand, feel free to omit them. When deep-fried, which is the way I prefer to cook this one, the chicken makes great picnic fare because it stays crispy long after it's cold, and the spice and herb seasoning stands up well to other highly seasoned picnic food.

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