On 4/20/2010 4:30 AM, dsi1 wrote:
> On 4/19/2010 8:18 AM, Kate Connally wrote:
>> in my new Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron chicken cooker that
>> my SIl got me for Xmas. It was much to my chagrin because
>> not only does the damn thing weigh 15 lb. but now I have to make
>> fried chicken!!!!! The thing is, I love fried chicken, but I
>> hate frying stuff because the oil get all over the place and I
>> hate cleaning, which is what you have to do a lot of after you
>> fry stuff! I guess I could get one of those splatter guards but
>> that's just another gadget to find a place for. And I probably
>> should get an instant-read thermometer because it was tricky
>> keeping the oil at the proper temp with just my candy thermometer,
>> but they are not cheap and, again, another gadget to find a place
>> for.
>>
>> And then there's buying the oil. Good oil is expensive, especially
>> in the quantities you need to fry chicken. And then, unless you
>> make it all the time so that you can reuse the oil several times
>> before you have to throw it out, thus getting your money's worth
>> out of it, well, it's expensive. And then there's the cleaning up. What
>> a pain in the butt.
>>
>> So, okay, I made the chicken. (recipe follows) It was okay.
>> I sort of followed a Cook's Country recipe for Extra Crunchy
>> Fried Chicken. It involves "brining" the chicken in buttermilk
>> and salt for 1 hour prior to cooking. The flour has garlic powder,
>> thyme, pepper, and baking powder in it. But you're supposed to add
>> some buttermilk to the flour mixture and rub it in with your fingers to
>> make a mealy consistency. I decided to dispense with that part as too
>> much trouble, besides being just plain weird. I just took the chicken
>> out of the buttermilk and didn't drain it a lot and coated it with
>> the flour. I think it gave me pretty much the same effect as their
>> method.
>>
>> I fried it according to their directions as well as I could, given
>> the thermometer problems. It turned out pretty well. I thought it
>> was a little salty so I would use a lot less salt next time. Also,
>> I thought it was *too* crunchy. But I liked it okay.
>
> Welcome to the world of fried chicken. I make a pretty good fried
> chicken. :-) To simplify things, I'll use only chicken thighs.

That's what I did. I don't care for white meat so I avoid it.
I got a big bag of leg/thigh quarters and cut them apart and froze
them in smaller section. I use the drumsticks for some things and
the thighs for others. I cook 4 large thighs this time.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?