"Almost Famous" Coating Mix

If you live in North America, you've very likely tried the infamous KFC. Even if you don't, God knows that the name, logo and "11 secret herbs and spices" tagline have graced your eyes and ears more than once (apparently there are over 15,000 restaurants in more than 125 countries right now). The mixture is a closely-guarded secret, and while lots of people have attempted to crack the code, I can only find varying reports as to authenticity.

So, when I was looking to create a recipe for a seasoned "coating" mix for the kids at school to give as Father's Day gifts, I took inspiration from the various sources Google provided me and essentially meshed them all together. I tried out a few batches on my thankfully understanding family, who declared this final round a winner - spicy but not hot, not too salty, perfectly crispifying and - ironically - tasting nothing like the classic. We're not big on deep-fried anything in general, and my parents and I always eschewed the restaurant versions of fried chicken as being far too salty (fish n' chips, on the other hand, we love - especially with beer batter!).

Non-frying aside, the mixture of my 12(!) flavourings, flour and breadcrumbs provided the perfect balance to buttermilk-soaked chicken, as well as pork chops and potato wedges. For a hotter kick, I'd toss in some jalapeno or chipotle powder, which would make for some killer curly fries. It's just as easy to whip up a huge batch of this and portion it into 1 1/2 cup -filled baggies as it is to make a single portion, which is a good thing - who knows what else we'll find to crust!

"Almost Famous" Chicken Coating Mix
Makes enough to coat 2 lbs of bone-in chicken parts
1 cup flour
¼ cup breadcrumbs
½ tbsp chicken bouillon powder
1 tsp tomato soup mix (such as Fire Roasted Tomato Soup Base from Bulk Barn, this one will work)
2 tsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp paprika
½ tbsp garlic powder
½ tbsp onion powder
¼ tsp powdered ginger
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp thyme
2 tsp minced parsley
1 tsp sage
2 tsp rosemary
½ tbsp oregano

1. Mix all the ingredients. Store in an airtight container (like a 2-cup jar) up to 4 months in the pantry.

To use:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Pour the jar of coating mix into a shallow bowl.
3. Measure 1 ½ cups of buttermilk into another shallow bowl.
4. Dip chicken into buttermilk, then coating mix, and place on a greased rack set over a cookie sheet.
5. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 80.3
Total Fat: 0.5 g
Cholesterol: 0.1 mg
Sodium: 118.7 mg
Total Carbs: 16.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.6 g
Protein: 2.6 g