The Food - Gluten Free Southern Fried Chicken

As I was cleaning up the mess from making fried chicken, (There's always such a mess when I do it!) it occurred to me that I had hit upon a pretty good recipe that I can actually eat and enjoy.  So I am publishing it here - mostly so I don't lose track of how I did it.  It started with a recipe from a North Carolina restaurant that was featured on The Chew this week.  I only had to change a few things to make it user friendly for me.  So If you also cannot eat many grains or cow's milk products - it might work for you as well.

BRINE
6 tea bags
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup salt
a pinch of baking soda
6 cups cold water

Mix all the ingredients together, except the cold water.  Stir until sugar, soda and salt are dissolved.  Add the cold water.  Place the cut-up chicken in a bowl and cover with the brine.  Let it soak for at least 1/2 hour.  If soaking for more than a 1/2 hour, you should probably refrigerate.

FRIED CHICKEN
1 chicken cut up
1 quart goat yogurt + 1 cup goat milk
              or
1 quart of buttermilk
2 cups cornmeal
2 cups masa (corn flour)
oil for frying ( I used safflower oil + a little bacon grease go add smoke)

Take the chicken out of the brine and dredge in flour mixture.  Place in a bowl large enough to hold all  the chicken and the buttermilk or goat yogurt mixture.  Coat the dredged chicken with the buttermilk or yogurt mixture and  let sit for another 1/2 hour in the refrigerator.  Heat the oil in the frying pan(s).  Do not crowd the chicken pieces too much in the  pan.  They will be crisper if they have some space.  Dredge again with the flour mixture and place in the hot oil.  Cover and fry until half done and golden crispy.  Turn and continue frying, covered, until done.  Ours took about 40 minutes, (twenty minutes per side) but times will vary with altitude and the size of the chicken pieces.

This is how the fried chicken looks cold.  I didn't think to photograph it yesterday.  It will be good this way as well!