Thursday, December 13, 2012

Fried chicken by any other name...

Fried chicken isn't hard, it's just easy to mess up. Frying chicken takes a dedicated amount of time, and it's not something that you do on a whim. Plan it out and you will have great fried chicken, and your family will never want the Colonel again.

There are many different types of fried chicken. Depending on where you are, determines the style of chicken. I fry Southern Fried Chicken. I think it's the best. It's very crispy and, when seasoned correctly, is quite delicious.

The Southern fried method uses a basic Dry-Wet-Dry breading setup. I use seasoned flour for my dry breading, and I use a buttermilk/egg mixture for the wet. I marinate the chicken for about an hour in the milk mixture, and then I dredge the chicken in flour, back in the milk , and into the flour again.

After the chicken has been dredged, put it on a sheet pan or cookie sheet, and let it sit for about ten minutes before frying. This will allow the breading to stick to the chicken better.

Finally deep fry the chicken in oil that is 325 degrees. Keep the temperature steady by using a digital thermometer. You can get one at Walmart for about 5 bucks. Worth the money. 325 degree oil is hot enough to cook the chicken and make a nice crunch, but cool enough to not burn or brown the breading to early. I fry in a deep pot, and I use my electric stove, but a gas stove is my first choice.

When the chicken is done (it should take about 12-14 minutes if deep frying), Drain it on a rack, or on some paper towels.

Standard Eight Piece Chicken Recipe

Marinade:
•1 qt buttermilk
•4 eggs
•2 tablespoons of fish sauce (I know, I know, but trust me. It adds what the Japanese call Umami. And without MSG, it misses that Umami. So Fish sauce replaces the MSG.)
•Hot sauce to taste

Breading
•4 cups of flour
•2 tbs salt
•1 tbs of each of the following: black pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder
1/2 tbs each of the following:
Chili powder
Ground ginger
Paprika
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Dried marjoram
•1 tbs white sugar

Enjoy. Next time, pot roast!