Fried Chicken: Cook-Off 5

[fifi]

I am toying with the idea of getting a deep fryer. Marlene, it sounds like the one you have has good temperature recovery. What kind do you have? I think on another thread here there were some complaints about these things being a bit wimpy in the BTU department.

[Marlene]

I am toying with the idea of getting a deep fryer. Marlene, it sounds like the one you have has good temperature recovery. What kind do you have? I think on another thread here there were some complaints about these things being a bit wimpy in the BTU department.

←

I have last year's version of this one. This year's version looks like it has two individual fry baskets which could be good or bad. The wattage on this one is the big thing. at 1800 watts, it was the most powerful one out there, at least at the time. I've been really really happy with it's performance.

Waring Pro

[Buttonwood]

It took me several batches of burned chicken to finally get the hang of it.

Several important things:

Big chicken - no worry. Asian cleaver. But don't take a swing at it. Chicken flys all over. First use the blade of the cleaver as a knife to cut down to the bone. Then lay the blade on the bone and using a dish towel to cushion your hand, apply pressure to the top of the cleaver. Cut through big thighs, breasts, even drumsticks. Rinse well to remove bone chips.

Make double batch of spice. Put half in the buttermilk with the chicken, and a little sugar. Marinate overnight.

Mix rest of spice with flour, coat the chicken, let air dry 30 minutes. This also lets chicken come closer to room temp, which helps in cooking I think.

I got to know my pan/burner/oil. I use big cast iron pan, turn knob to 5 on electric range, add lard. I have heard people say bad things about store-bought lard, but they have not eaten my chicken.

It seems to me fried chicken is a good example of cooking technique over recipe. Practice makes perfect (fried chicken.)

I really enjoyed this topic. Look forward to the next one.

[Malawry]

Way way after the fact, I finally have images of my fried chicken fete for my 34 hungry college girls to share with you.

First, I cut up about 10 whole chickens and made up a brine. The chicken brined overnight in the fridge in this Giant Cambro from Hell.

In the morning, I drained the brine from the Cambro. I mixed buttermilk and hot sauce to pour on.

This mixture rests in the fridge for about 3 hours, while I prepare lunch for the girls.

What's fried chicken without biscuits? During lunch, I used the industrial mixer to cut fat into the flour/baking powder/salt mix. I used butter.

I prepare a double bag with some paper towels in the bottom to absorb excess moisture.

I fill it with AP flour mixed with salt, pepper, dried thyme and some cayenne pepper.

The buttermilk is drained off the chicken. I add a few pieces of the meat to the bag and shake well to coat. Note these are all drumsticks--it's impossible to keep track of what shape is what sort of piece unless you separate them as you flour them. So I just root around until I have 5 breast pieces or whatever and then shake them in the bag together.

Then I divide them into separate pans. This way I can control the cooking time by only frying one type of piece at a time. Ideally, each piece will be perfectly cooked since all wings/thighs/drumsticks should cook in the same amount of time.

Into the fryer with you!

And stay there!

While early batches fry, I add buttermilk to the biscuit dry mix and pat them out. Then it's time to cut them...

And line them up in the pan. They're then brushed with butter and baked in a hot oven. Sorry, in my busy-ness I neglected to photograph them when completed. Trust me, they were goooood.

As was the finished chicken.

[Chris Amirault]

That was worth the wait, Rochelle! Any leftovers?

Just another indication that cook-offs never end... they just keep on a-comin'!

[hedgehog_23]

i've made fried chicken so many different ways, but this is the way i like best:

season flour with s&p, paprika, cajun seasoning, cayenne, garlic powder

season chix pieces with salt and pepper (i dont usually brine)

dust in both sides with the flour, then egg wash, then flour again.

heat cast iron or any large skillet and fill about 1/3" of the way up with lard, shortening, or peanut oil. (clarified butter if you're feeling french ) let that sucker get hot and and brown on one side for about 12 mins. brown on other side for the same time. rest on a cooling rack, elevated so the chicken doesnt sit in its own grease.

not deep fried chicken, but i prefer shallow fried chicken.

when i'm lazy, i just dust the chix in the seasoned flour, and saute on both sides, then finish in oven. not as crusty as real fried chicken, but its quick and easy and has a great flavor (healthier too)

my mom made fried chicken once. she boiled the chicken first. when she went to pan fry it, it started falling apart. when i asked why, she said she wanted to make sure it was done. she boiled the chicken for an hour.

Edited May 16, 2005 by hedgehog_23 (log)

[Malawry]

There were plenty of leftovers, Chris, but this was many weeks ago. The cold fried chicken went into their fridge, where most of it was consumed after alcoholic binges around 3am in classic collegiate style. Dem's my girls...

[chef koo]

anyone know a good wine for fried chicken?

[Marlene]

Fried chicken has rapidly made its way into my regular repertoire. Tonight for example, I'll be frying again. I was in Bruno's picking up a bunch of peanut oil for tonight's endeavor and the lady at the cash and the lady behind me in line engaged in a discussion on the best oil for deep frying. Both of them swear by EVOO for deep frying!

I've never heard anyone here talk about using EVOO for deep frying. Expense aside, is it really a better oil for deep frying? What say you?

[Dave the Cook]

There's no technical reason not to deep fry with EVOO, though the smoke point (around 375 F) is pretty close to your working temperature. I think you should try it and let us know.

[Mayhaw Man]

You can usually get giant jugs of evoo at Sam's or Costco pretty inexpensively. I have never deep fried chicken in it, but I am sure that it would work pretty well. It might taste great, too.

Of course, I encourage you to try all methods, as you will need to have a full working knowledge of all things chicken fried if you are going to pass the test for the IAFCJ (International Association of Fried Chicken Judges).

[slkinsey]

evoo will definitely give you a certain flavor -- and not one I am sure would work so well with Southern-style American fried chicken. On the other hand, if you were going for something different, it could work very well. Egg wash, bread crumbs and rosemary, for example, would be very good fried in evoo (it's awesome for fish!).

[suzilightning]

ok- i took a deep breath and asked john if i made fried chicken - would he eat it? (john HATES chicken skin and prefers only chicken breasts). he said yes so...

picked up a chicken at shoprite and dissected it. popped it into a brine overnight. took the pieces out, dried them then sprinkled with salt, pepper and onion powder. into flour seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder and some chili powder. let rest for half an hour or so.

canola oil and some leftover bacon fat in a wide heavy skillet for a shallow fry. the oil was about 370 when i put the legs and thighs (4 pieces without crowding) in and the heat held at about 360. 12 minutes on each side then out. brought the oil back to temperature and the 2 breasts split in - this only took 10 minutes per side.

this is the first time i have ever fried chicken. growing up my family never fried chicken - flounder, yes - chicken, no. john doesn't like to eat "fatty" foods - course this is the same guy who wouldn't eat eggs because of the cholesterol until he found out his was 106. i explained to john that if my oil is hot enough there will be a sealed crust and the meat should stay moist while not being greasy. it worked!!

really good and john actually ate it. while this won't be once a week this will definitely make it into the rotation. and my lovely coworker, deanna, who hails from morristown, tn will be getting a leg to try and critique me on.

[Susan in FL]

Woohoo! Suzi and Johnnybird, yes. Congratulations to you both, you for frying chicken for the first time and Johnnybird for agreeing to it. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Now, if only we could work out some agreement for you to send me all the chicken skin that he won't eat...

You know, I was thinking of something along these lines tonight when I was in the supermarket. I saw so many packages of various chicken parts that were skinless... not boneless, just skinless. What do they do with the skin? I would pay to have a whole bunch of chicken skin to just fry up nice and crispy for unlimited snacking.

[snowangel]

  What do they do with the skin?  I would pay to have a whole bunch of chicken skin to just fry up nice and crispy for unlimited snacking.

←

It's all about the backs. I promise. Find yourself some backs. Nice skin to meat ratio. Plus all of those nooks and crannies. I took fried chicken to The Cabin for the first night of our recent visit, and the backs were reserved for The Mommies. My friend Susan (yes, another Susan) said she never even knew a you could fry a chicken back until she was an adult and her mom admitted that every time she fried a chicken, she fried the back halves first (helps to half them along the mid-vertebrae) to eat while she was frying the rest of the chicken.

Skinless, boneless? Don't get it, myself.

[Susan in FL]

I really don't get skinless boneless either, for myself. Apparently it's popular, though. I would rather cut back on something other than skin and bones (LOL) if I were forced to limit calories or fat or whatever. To me, two of the best food things in the world are chewing on bones and eating crispy skins. ...And now you do have me convinced. The next time I fry chicken, I will include some backs.

[snowangel]

I The next time I fry chicken, I will include some backs. 

←

Whenever I cut up a chicken, I used to save the backs for stock. Well, let me tell you, my stock will now be backless. That backless stock is a pretty sexy thought!

[savvysearch]

Great recipes! Don't know which one to try.

Edited June 25, 2005 by savvysearch (log)

[maui420]

hi,

i am trying to make the best fried chicken that i can. so far, ive been using spiced flour mixture, egg/milk wash, and then redipping into the flour before putting it into the deep fryer. i notice that the outside gets cooked faster than the inside. afterward i would place the chicken in the oven to finish them. unfortunatly i lose the nice crispy exterior.

ive read another thread on here that some folks boil thier chicken. i plan on trying this in the next day or so. i wonder, can i spice the water? will the flavor seep into the chicken? i think of adding some salt and maybe throwing in some dried chilies or maybe a dried habenero pepper. would i be able to flavorize the meat? if so, what spices would you use?

thanks,

[Toliver]

ive read another thread on here that some folks boil thier chicken. i plan on trying this in the next day or so. i wonder, can i spice the water? will the flavor seep into the chicken? i think of adding some salt and maybe throwing in some dried chilies or maybe a dried habenero pepper. would i be able to flavorize the meat? if so, what spices would you use?

thanks,

←

This may be the discussion you are referring to:

"Fried Chicken, how do you make it?"

In the opening post, Jinmyo says she poaches the chicken in buttermilk spiced with "mire-poix and few crushed ancho chiles".

So spice away!

[rooftop1000]

So completely on a whim today I decided to make fried chicken. Hey i had a chicken. But a few days ago I did a complete moth purge of my cabinets....so I had chicken but no flour I did have cornmeal because I have a canister for that already, so.... I cleaned the coffee grinder and ground the heck out of some cornmeal and a slice of whole wheat bread and seasoned it up. Dumped my chicken in a bowl of milk and pickle juice...I dunno why pickle juice sounded good at the time. Waited about an hour and heated up half veg oil and half chicken fat in a big ol' heavy aluminum skillet, layed my remote therm probe in there and waited till 375 "floured" the chicked and dropped em in

I dont think I have ever made fried chicken at home ...only in a deep fryer at work

I didnt even really want to eat fried chicken I just felt like making it

tracey

[Chris Amirault]

How was it? Did it cook all the way through?

[rooftop1000]

Sorry.....cooked nicely all the way through and moist, the texture of the coating was a little "off" because some on the cornmeal wasnt pulverized. Still dont know why the pickle juice didnt curdle the milk but it was tasty....served with flaky biscutsn honey, fresh green beans, and butternut squash baked with cinn-sugar

[snowangel]

Last Thursday, in prep for our trip to The Cabin I fried some chicken. Although we weren't going until Friday, I knew we would get there too late for me to feel like any more cooking than boiling some corn and slicing some tomatoes. That buttermilk soaked chicken breaded in salted/peppered flour is really great the next day, especially if not wrapped until it is chilled.

[snowangel]

I got tired of this pan screaming fried chicken every time I walked by the cabinet that I just had to do the deed.

Naturally, I forgot to take a picture of dinner, which also featured potato salad.

But, this pan is the ultimate for frying chicken. Absolutely the best. The higher sides are wonderful for containing the grease.