Finger-lickin' good?!?

Remember Kentucky Fried Chicken Livers? I confess I don't, but John does. And he misses them. A lot. So if anyone's got a tried-and-true recipe, please point me in the right direction. A google search yields nor much ... a compilation of internet jokes and a dog with some interesting snack habits. Odd. Very odd.

So in a fit of desperation, we sought out some "copycat" recipes for Kentucky Fired Chicken. And we found some interesting candidates. We're working our way through the various takes on "11 herbs and spices" and as with all things food, you can expect to see some discussion of our results here.

First off, let me say that I consider myself a foodie, but not a food snob. Ramen noodles and imported extra virgin olive oil both have a home in my kitchen. And there are frozen french fries next to the gourmet coffee beans in the freezer. But despite my "everybody's welcome" attitude, I had to shop for the chicken ingredients.

According to the recipe we tried, the eleven herbs and spices are all present and accounted for in prepackaged, powdered salad dressing. Go figure. Not a staple in my kitchen, so it's off to Safeway. While I'm there I pick up the chicken (we opted for boneless, skin-on breasts for our trial run) and the other item I've never purchased before: tomato flavored instant cup-o-soup. Safeway has lots of flavors of cup-o-soup, but not tomato. So I opted for Knorr's tomato-basil soup and in retrospect I think that choice changed the balance of the whole recipe.

Ingredients assembled, we began our experiment. The coating clung very nicely to the chicken pieces. We chose to double-coat it, hoping for a crispier texture. We weren't disappointed with that decision -- the combination of crispy batter and buttery-tender chicken that can only be accomplished by frying was a treat for both of us. This is a recipe we'll return to and experiment with when we're feeling the need for indulgent comfort food.

But was it reminiscent of "Kentucky Fried"? Well, no. But that may well have been operator error. The primary spice-age coming through was tomato/basil. Remember my Knorr soup? Looking at the box, I realize that in terms of volume I had something closer to vat-o-soup than cup-o-soup. Hmmm... perhaps that threw the flavor balance off?

So modifying my opening query, if anyone's got a tried-and-true recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken Livers or a source for tomato cup-o-soup, let me know. In the mean time, enjoy the recipe.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Original Recipe (adapted from the Copycat Cookbook

1 frying chicken, cut into frying pieces (we used skin-on, boneless breasts)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 Pkt. (dry) Good Seasons Italian Dressing (THE 11 herbs and spices!)
1 Envelope Lipton (or other brand) Tomato Cup of Soup
2 eggs, well beaten
2/3 cup milk
Vegetable oil to cover bottom of your skillet; about 1/2 inch deep.

1. Combine eggs andmilk. Set aside.
2. Combine flour with the Italian dressing and soup mix.
3. Dip chicken pieces inmilk-eggmixture and roll them in the
flour-seasoningmixture. Repeat procedure.
4. Fry pieces over medium heat for 25 to 30minutes, turning often.
5. Remove from fire. Drain and serve.