Since about 1940 the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken has been the most guarded secret until the Obama college transcripts. Harland Sanders decided to use two separate companies to each make part of the recipe in order to keep any one person from knowing the recipe. Colonel Harlan Sanders’ nephew by marriage found an envelope belonging to Claudia Sanders, second wife of Col Sanders. Inside the envelope, Joe Ledington, found a copy of Claudia’s will and a recipe for chicken including 11 herbs and spices.
KFC officials claim that it’s not the same recipe that they use. On Friday, the Chicago Tribune published the recipe. Not wanting to make a false claim as to the recipe’s validity, they had some chefs try to duplicate the KFC style chicken. A few tries were made without success and then a chef decided to add some Accent and no one could tell the difference.
But Joe Ledington, a nephew of the colonel by marriage, has a scrapbook that was once owned by Claudia Sanders, second wife of the colonel. And inside that scrapbook might be the chicken world’s biggest secret.
Inside the scrapbook is a handwritten recipe stuck inside of an envelope that also contained Claudia’s will. Claudia passed away in 1997.
Ledington said he has had the scrapbook for about four years, as it was passed down through family members.
Does he think it’s the real Original Recipe?
‘Yeah, I do,’ he told the outlet. ‘I don’t want to get in an argument with [parent company] Yum! Brands about it but … I’m pretty sure that it’s pretty close to the original.’
Here is the recipe as published by the Chicago Tribune:
Twitter @joegraygoodeats
Fried chicken with 11 herbs and spices
Prep: 30 minutes
Soak: 20-30 minutes
Cook: 15-18 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1/3 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried mustard
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons ground white pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1 chicken, cut up, the breast pieces cut in half for more even frying
Expeller-pressed canola oil
1 Mix the flour in a bowl with all the herbs and spices; set aside.
2 Mix the buttermilk and egg together in a separate bowl until combined. Soak the chicken in the buttermilk mixture at room temperature, 20-30 minutes.
3 Remove chicken from the buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off. Dip the chicken pieces in the herb-spice-flour mixture to coat all sides, shaking off excess. Allow to sit on a rack over a baking sheet, 20 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, heat about 3 inches of the oil in a large Dutch oven (or similar heavy pot with high sides) over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. (Use a deep-frying thermometer to check the temperature.) When temperature is reached, lower the heat to medium to maintain it at 350. Fry 3 or 4 pieces at a time, being careful not to crowd the pot. Fry until medium golden brown, turning once, 15-18 minutes. Transfer chicken pieces to a baking sheet covered with paper towels. Allow the oil to return to temperature before adding more chicken. Repeat with remaining chicken.