Milk And Egg Wash

the quick answer

Health Regulations
Perishable Milk and Fragile Eggs
Storage for Both perishable Items and Transportation
Cleaner and Time saving to use a powder in flour then a extra step with Milk and Eggs

I make deep fried catfish bites. I always soak them in buttermilk for a few hours before breading and deep frying. To me, when I didn't have buttermilk and used substitutions. The catfish bites just were not as good.

All subjective. But I won't make them now with out it.

I have been asked again about the Milk and Egg warsh

The Chicken Prior to the Milk and Egg Bath should be more room temperature 35 to 45 degrees

Originally Milk and whole eggs were used with Salt and Pepper.

As time changed a powdered Milk and Egg mix with water was used and 6oz of salt was added to the mix NO Pepper

then the Powdered milk and Egg were added to the Seasoned flour.


The Original Milk & Egg Warsh CHS said the Milk helped Brown the Coating and the Whole Eggs helped the Seasoned flour stick to the chicken.

Milk & Egg with Cream of tarter mixed to create extra frothy with Salt and Pepper were used a Vanilla was added to give a aroma and not a warm milk smell.

These were CHS way he let the Chicken sit in the Milk and Egg Warsh, it helped tenderize the Chicken prior to the chicken being placed in the Milk and Egg Warsh it was pre-dusted in the Seasoned flour it gave more adhesion for the Seasoned Flour when you folded and pressed it hard onto the chicken.

Many people say that Egg whites were used THIS was NOT what CHS he used the Whole Eggs the Cream of Tarter helped with the froth similar to ONLY egg whites.

CHS also had NO issue with putting the 11 Herb's and Spice s into the Milk and Egg warsh for more seasoned chicken to the bone.

after the chicken was placed into the seasoned flour it was put into the Hot Oil and Dave Thomas said a temp of 360 was critical with a Browning time of approximately 3 minutes and the temperature turn way down. Once the pressure Lid was locked on the Chicken does NOT Brown more then a 10% greater color from the Browning time period the Pressure cooks the internal more then the external.

If you want the most authentic way for KFC Milk & Whole eggs with cream of tarter and salt and pepper, and drops of Vanilla in the milk, if CHS had chicken sitting in the Bath for a long time it was not uncommon for Lemon Juice to be added as it thicken made more a Butter milk brine.

you can used can Milk also. in many trial comparisons people loved Milk and Egg cream of tarter with Vanilla and 11 herbs and spices in the bath the best for a great flavor and pre-dusted chicken prior to the Season flour fold and press. Leave the chicken in the Milk and egg bath for 15 minutes

I added a "Single Acting Baking Powder" mixture to my flour for one of my recipe attempts, at an amount which turned my flour into homemade "Self Rising Flour". No one noticed any texture difference or flavor benefit from this, so I have not repeated it. But that batch came out noticeably darker than my norm.


Edit:  I must state that for the same batch I also added Cornstarch at a level intended to turn my "All Purpose" flour into "Cake Flour" (as is a common means whereby to save money vs. purchasing store bought "Cake Flour"). So the odd darkness may have come from the homemade single acting baking powder, or from the cornstarch, or it may have come from both.  The darkness was almost at the level of Ledington's when made per the Chicago Tribune method (I.E., using tablespoons).