Frying chicken

High_Gravity

Belligerent Drunk
Nov 19, 2010
40,157
7,096
260
Richmond VA
I recently got a deep fryer for frying chicken, the last few times I fried chicken I usually put the chicken in cornmeal before I fried it, does anyone else do anything different with their chicken? what else can you really put the chicken in before you fry it to make it taste different? a friend of mine uses egg yolk with his chicken before he fries but is there anything else you can use? plus whats the ideal time for frying it? I think I fried mine about 7 to 8 minutes on each side but some of the pieces got stuck to the fryer.
 
You need some herbs. I also recommend brining the chicken first.

FABOO Fried Chicken Recipe:

Ingredients
(Serves 4-6)

* Two 2 1/2- to 3-pound chickens (see Note on Chicken Size)
* Chicken Brine (recipe follows), cold

For Dredging and Frying
* Peanut or canola oil for deep-frying
* 1 quart buttermilk
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Coating
* 6 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup garlic powder
* 1/4 cup onion powder
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cayenne
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Ground fleur de sel or fine sea salt
* Rosemary and thyme sprigs for garnish

Directions

Cut each chicken into 10 pieces: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 4 breast quarters, and 2 wings. Pour the brine into a container large enough to hold the chicken pieces, add in the chicken, and refrigerate for 12 hours (no longer, or the chicken may become too salty).

Remove the chicken from the brine (discard the brine) and rinse under cold water, removing any herbs or spices sticking to the skin. Pat dry with paper towels, or let air-dry. Let rest at room temperature for 1-1/2 hours, or until it comes to room temperature.

If you have two large pots (about 6 inches deep) and a lot of oil, you can cook the dark and white meat at the same time; if not, cook the dark meat first, then turn up the heat and cook the white meat. No matter what size pot you have, the oil should not come more than one-third of the way up the sides of the pot. Fill the pot with at least 2 inches of peanut oil and heat to 320°F. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper.

Meanwhile, combine all the coating ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer half the coating to a second large bowl. Pour the buttermilk into a third bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set up a dipping station: the chicken pieces, one bowl of coating, the bowl of buttermilk, the second bowl of coating, and the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Just before frying, dip the chicken thighs into the first bowl of coating, turning to coat and patting off the excess; dip them into the buttermilk, allowing the excess to run back into the bowl; then dip them into the second bowl of coating. Transfer to the parchment-lined pan.

Carefully lower the thighs into the hot oil. Adjust the heat as necessary to return the oil to the proper temperature. Fry for 2 minutes, then carefully move the chicken pieces around in the oil and continue to fry, monitoring the oil temperature and turning the pieces as necessary for even cooking, for 11 to 12 minutes, until the chicken is a deep golden brown, cooked through, and very crisp. Meanwhile, coat the chicken drumsticks and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Transfer the cooked thighs to the cooling rack skin-side-up and let rest while you fry the remaining chicken. (Putting the pieces skin-side-up will allow excess fat to drain, whereas leaving them skin-side-down could trap some of the fat.) Make sure that the oil is at the correct temperature, and cook the chicken drumsticks. When the drumsticks are done, lean them meat-side-up against the thighs to drain, then sprinkle the chicken with fine sea salt.

Turn up the heat and heat the oil to 340°F. Meanwhile, coat the chicken breasts and wings. Carefully lower the chicken breasts into the hot oil and fry for 7 minutes, or until golden brown, cooked through, and crisp. Transfer to the rack, sprinkle with salt, and turn skin side up. Cook the wings for 6 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the wings to the rack and turn off the heat. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter. Add the herb sprigs to the oil (which will still be hot) and let them cook and crisp for a few seconds, then arrange them over the chicken.

Note on Chicken Size: You may need to go to a farmers' market to get these small chickens. Grocery store chickens often run 3 to 4 pounds. They can, of course, be used in this recipe but if chickens in the 2-1/2- to 3-pound range are available to you, they're worth seeking out. They’re a little easier to cook properly at the temperatures we recommend here and, most important, pieces this size result in the optimal meat-to-crust proportion, which is such an important part of the pleasure of fried chicken.

Note: We let the chicken rest for 7 to 10 minutes after it comes out of the fryer so that it has a chance to cool down. If the chicken has rested for longer than 10 minutes, put the tray of chicken in a 400°F oven for a minute or two to ensure that the crust is crisp and the chicken is hot.






Chicken Brine
Makes 2 gallons

* 5 lemons, halved
* 24 bay leaves
* 1 bunch (4 ounces) flat-leaf parsley
* 1 bunch (1 ounce) thyme
* 1/2 cup clover honey
* 1 head garlic, halved through the equator
* 3/4 cup black peppercorns
* 2 cups (10 ounces) kosher salt, preferably Diamond Crystal
* 2 gallons water

The key ingredient here is the lemon, which goes wonderfully with chicken, as do the herbs: bay leaf, parsley, and thyme. This amount of brine will be enough for 10 pounds.

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.


EDIT: This is Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe. Here is the health info..

"Makes 6 servings, each (without frying oil) 780 calories (54.8 percent calories from fat), 47 g fat, 230 mg cholesterol, 630 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 61 g protein. Per 1 tablespoon of oil used for frying: 120 calories (100 percent calories from fat), 14 g fat."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/food/6824548.html
 
Last edited:
I don't use a deep fryer for chicken. In myexperience, unless you have a pressure cooker, it turns out tough and not quite done.

I fry using a cast iron skillet with a lot of crisco in it (oil makes it taste funny). Best southern chicken...but it's REALLY crunchy....marinate your chicken overnight in buttermilk, roll in flour and seasons of your choice, let it sit a few minutes to fully create a bond to the chicken, roll it again, let it sit a few more minutes, then into medium-medium high. Cook it until it's brown on all sides, which takes quite a while. Just to be safe and to make sure it's fall-off-the bone done, I then put the chicken single layer in a baking pan and stick it in the oven at about 325 - 350 for an hour or so. Cover it if you like, it will soften it up some.

OR you dredge in flour, salt and pepper, let it sit a few for the flour to bond to the chicken (so it doesn't come off when you're cooking it) fry on high until it's brown but not done; put in a pan, put some water in there, cover it up and bake it for an hour. This is what we always called chicken fricasee and it is YUMMY.
 
Wow thanks guys I am definently taking notes right now, thanks alot. The buttermilk idea sounds great for the chicken.
 
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mr81eFpRyM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mr81eFpRyM[/ame]

:lol:
 
Any Alton Brown recipe I've tried has been fantastic.

Ingredients

* 1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
* 2 cups low fat buttermilk
* 2 tablespoons kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* Flour, for dredging
* Vegetable shortening, for frying

Directions

Place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Melt enough shortening (over low heat) to come just 1/8-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan. Once shortening liquefies raise heat to 325 degrees F. Do not allow oil to go over 325 degrees F.

Drain chicken in a colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

Place chicken skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side. More importantly, the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees. (Be careful to monitor shortening temperature every few minutes.)

Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan. Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags. If you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven, especially if it's a gas oven.


Fried Chicken Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network
 
That's almost the way I do it. Only I let it set a few minutes so the coating adheres to the chicken and doesn't cook off.
 
I recently got a deep fryer for frying chicken, the last few times I fried chicken I usually put the chicken in cornmeal before I fried it, does anyone else do anything different with their chicken? what else can you really put the chicken in before you fry it to make it taste different? a friend of mine uses egg yolk with his chicken before he fries but is there anything else you can use? plus whats the ideal time for frying it? I think I fried mine about 7 to 8 minutes on each side but some of the pieces got stuck to the fryer.

Hey HG. Go to YouTube , Good Eats S4E3P1 Fry HardII The Chicken and S4E3P2. It covers it pretty good. Frying in deep fat as oppossed to Deep-Frying. A completely different animal. His spice mix there works really well. I liked the mix with pork chops also.
 
Eatin' greasy fried chicken makes me want yo breasts!:tongue:

The best fried chicken is done in a skillet...with plenty of black pepper in the batter.
 
I agree with pan frying instead of deep frying. just less messy and wasteful. Also I agree with Alton Brown always has good recipes. Good Eats is a great show.

The most important thing when frying chicken, or anything else for that matter, is to shake off loose coating before putting meat in pan, it will just fall off and cool your oil down ruining your meal.
 
I recently got a deep fryer for frying chicken, the last few times I fried chicken I usually put the chicken in cornmeal before I fried it, does anyone else do anything different with their chicken? what else can you really put the chicken in before you fry it to make it taste different? a friend of mine uses egg yolk with his chicken before he fries but is there anything else you can use? plus whats the ideal time for frying it? I think I fried mine about 7 to 8 minutes on each side but some of the pieces got stuck to the fryer.

Hey HG. Go to YouTube , Good Eats S4E3P1 Fry HardII The Chicken and S4E3P2. It covers it pretty good. Frying in deep fat as oppossed to Deep-Frying. A completely different animal. His spice mix there works really well. I liked the mix with pork chops also.

I will check that out, thank you.
 
I recently got a deep fryer for frying chicken, the last few times I fried chicken I usually put the chicken in cornmeal before I fried it, does anyone else do anything different with their chicken? what else can you really put the chicken in before you fry it to make it taste different? a friend of mine uses egg yolk with his chicken before he fries but is there anything else you can use? plus whats the ideal time for frying it? I think I fried mine about 7 to 8 minutes on each side but some of the pieces got stuck to the fryer.

Hey HG. Go to YouTube , Good Eats S4E3P1 Fry HardII The Chicken and S4E3P2. It covers it pretty good. Frying in deep fat as oppossed to Deep-Frying. A completely different animal. His spice mix there works really well. I liked the mix with pork chops also.

I will check that out, thank you.

Here ya go HG, I got my 15 in and can post URLs now:


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbc1aW5C1W0[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWtC_3zUdcg&feature=related[/ame]​
 
Hey HG. Go to YouTube , Good Eats S4E3P1 Fry HardII The Chicken and S4E3P2. It covers it pretty good. Frying in deep fat as oppossed to Deep-Frying. A completely different animal. His spice mix there works really well. I liked the mix with pork chops also.

I will check that out, thank you.

Here ya go HG, I got my 15 in and can post URLs now:


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbc1aW5C1W0[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWtC_3zUdcg&feature=related[/ame]​


My job blocks youtube at work, I'll have to check that out at the house. Thanks though, good lookin out.
 
Any Alton Brown recipe I've tried has been fantastic.

Ingredients

* 1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
* 2 cups low fat buttermilk
* 2 tablespoons kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* Flour, for dredging
* Vegetable shortening, for frying

Directions

Place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Melt enough shortening (over low heat) to come just 1/8-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan. Once shortening liquefies raise heat to 325 degrees F. Do not allow oil to go over 325 degrees F.

Drain chicken in a colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

Place chicken skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side. More importantly, the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees. (Be careful to monitor shortening temperature every few minutes.)

Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan. Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags. If you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven, especially if it's a gas oven.


Fried Chicken Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network

I have tried many of Alton Brown's recipes. While I find his information highly ..... informational, I find his recipes tasteless and lacking in any sort of character.
 
Any Alton Brown recipe I've tried has been fantastic.

Ingredients

* 1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
* 2 cups low fat buttermilk
* 2 tablespoons kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* Flour, for dredging
* Vegetable shortening, for frying

Directions

Place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Melt enough shortening (over low heat) to come just 1/8-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan. Once shortening liquefies raise heat to 325 degrees F. Do not allow oil to go over 325 degrees F.

Drain chicken in a colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

Place chicken skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side. More importantly, the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees. (Be careful to monitor shortening temperature every few minutes.)

Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan. Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags. If you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven, especially if it's a gas oven.


Fried Chicken Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network


Winner winner chicken dinner!

That recipe rules!!!!
 
Any Alton Brown recipe I've tried has been fantastic.

Ingredients

* 1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
* 2 cups low fat buttermilk
* 2 tablespoons kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* Flour, for dredging
* Vegetable shortening, for frying

Directions

Place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Melt enough shortening (over low heat) to come just 1/8-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan. Once shortening liquefies raise heat to 325 degrees F. Do not allow oil to go over 325 degrees F.

Drain chicken in a colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

Place chicken skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side. More importantly, the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees. (Be careful to monitor shortening temperature every few minutes.)

Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan. Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags. If you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven, especially if it's a gas oven.


Fried Chicken Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network

I have tried many of Alton Brown's recipes. While I find his information highly ..... informational, I find his recipes tasteless and lacking in any sort of character.

Not like HG was asking for Basil Pesto Chicken Rolls with Roasted Red Pepper sauce or Crab Stuffed Chicken. It's Fried Chicken. Fried Chicken has it's own character............ so there :eusa_snooty:
 

New Topics

Forum List

Back
Top