How well someone prepares fried chicken is usually a solid indicator of a home-style cook’s skill. After reading this, you’ll know how to make tasty fried chicken with the ingredients you already have in your kitchen cupboards. Additionally, neither measurements nor directions will be necessary. Instead of merely being a recipe for deep-fried chicken, this is a philosophy manual.
Fried Chicken Can Be Made in Only Five Simple Steps (And One Is Optional)
Peacock
Of course, you must start with the chicken. Choose chicken that is as fresh as possible. When you remove it from the packaging, be sure to wash it properly and verify the expiration date. Fry frozen chicken no later than 24 hours after defrosting it. Up to an hour before frying, chicken should be kept in the refrigerator. To be safe, always Korean fried Chicken that has reached room temperature. By doing this, you can stop the chicken from having raw areas in the middle and an overcooked exterior.
Although it is not necessary, marinating often greatly improves the flavor of the chicken. The amount of liquid you use to marinade the chicken doesn’t need to be measured. Make sure the flavors of your seasonings and marinade blend well together (see below, under SEASONINGS). If you want the flavor of genuine Southern Fried Chicken, milk is an excellent marinade. To give food an Asian taste, marinate it in soy sauce or teriyaki. For a unique Indian flavor, marinate chicken in a mixture of milk and curry powder. Whether or not your favourite salsa has fiery peppers, marinate in it to add Mexican flavor. Use your imagination; you can flavor the combination anyway you desire, whether it be with wine, honey, vinegar, or anything else.
Its Fuel
The chicken must be fried in deep-frying oil of some kind. My favorite fats are shortening, canola oil, and ghee (either vegetarian or butter). The oil needs to be heated up adequately before cooking. Your fried chicken’s coating will come off if the oil isn’t hot enough, and it’ll come out quite greasy. In case the oil is too hot, the chicken will burn. Because different oils can be heated to different degrees, there is no standard temperature for frying.
I suggest getting the oil very hot, but not smoking, then putting a little ball of the BATTER you wish to use into it to test it. To avoid spattering, lower the fried chicken into the oil slowly and softly. Remove any batter pieces that separate throughout the frying process as soon as you can to avoid the oil and chicken feeling burned. As you insert the chicken pieces one at a time, make sure they don’t contact. Crowding frequently damages Korean fried Chicken while it’s cooking. Your chicken won’t cook evenly if it is packed closely together.
A Pitcher
It takes two steps to batter fried chicken. The skin must first be moisturized before applying the dry components on top of the wet ones. It’s easier than it appears.
Diluted Batter
Typically, egg is used to wet the chicken and to provide a “glue” that will help the dry components stick to the chicken. Simply crack several eggs into a bowl, then thin them out with some water, vinegar, or milk (depending on your seasonings). About 1:5 liquid to egg ratio should be used. The majority of chefs can wing it, but if you’re concerned, add a 1/4 cup of liquid every five eggs. As soon as you have prepared the amount of egg batter you anticipate being needed, pour it into a large basin. You must dip the chicken in this before rolling it in the dry ingredients.
Watery Batter
The dry components serve as the batter’s building blocks. Once more, there is a ton of flexibility here. Any type of meal, such as cornmeal, breadcrumbs, matzoh meal, and flour, may be used (of any kind). Incorporate the spices you believe will work best with your marinade into the dish you choose in the quantities you believe you’ll like. This might be as simple as salt and pepper for Southern milk-marinated fried chicken or it can be as complex as curry powder (for fried chicken with an Indian flavor). For a Mexican taste, I add cumin and a tiny bit of pepper.
It is preferable to stay away from using leafy spices like oregano, basil, or marjoram because they burn in the oil. Choose strong spices that were powdered from dried roots or seeds. About a quarter teaspoon of baking soda should be used for every two cups of dry batter. Prepare the batter so that it tastes hotter and stronger than you would desire because the flavor will be gentler after it is put on the chicken. Put a lot of the dry batter in a pie pan or other shallow pan.
Now… The chicken pieces should be covered with the wet batter first, then the dry batter. If you run out of one or the other, you can always create additional batter. Because I can freeze the dry batter and use it later, I always make a lot of it.
Cooking
Once the chicken has been battered, you are ready to put it in the hot oil. Cook the chicken for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Lower or increase the heat of the oil if the batter browns too fast or too slowly. Your first few pieces of chicken won’t look as good as the others, so don’t stress.
The chicken will be cooked when the juices flow clear when you remove it from the pan and puncture it with a fork. On paper towels, place the finished chicken to drain. Then, eat while being joyful!
[Note: This page does not address “Oven-Fried Chicken,” as it is technically baked rather than fried.]
Shawn Scott, Ph.D., is a scholar who also enjoys cooking and has worked as a chef and a caterer. Now that Scott is retired from teaching, he has made the decision to impart his nearly forty years of culinary and gastronomic knowledge. More of Scott’s ideas on creativity and improvisation in the kitchen may be found in “Recipe-Free Cooking”:
