On Apr 20, 1:06*pm, dsi1 > wrote:
> On 4/20/2010 2:08 AM, Food Snob wrote:
>
>
>
>
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> > On Apr 20, 3:30 am, > *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. The
> >> thighs are moistened by holding it under the running tap and dredging in
> >> seasoned flour. The idea of rubbing buttermilk into the flour mixture
> >> for texture is an interesting one - will try that next time. I like to
> >> turn the chicken over several times while frying because I think it
> >> makes for a juicer chicken. I don't use a thermometer, opting for the
> >> "not too" method of temperature regulation; after browning both sides in
> >> hot oil, turn the temperature down low but not too low, in the last few
> >> minutes, finish browning in hotter but not too hot oil. Yeah, it's tasty
> >> alright. :-)
>
> > Pre-processed thighs are usually pricey. *If you buy leg quarters, you
> > can often get the thigh and drumsticks both for not much more than the
> > thighs alone. *That back piece that's on there is great for broth,
> > after removing the nasty kidney thingies.
>
> Good advice, I guess. I just stick with the thighs for simplicity in
> cooking i.e., I get to cook all the pieces the same length of time and
> turn them all simultaneously.
>
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>
> >>> EXTRA-CRUNCHY FRIED CHICKEN
>
> >>> 2 c. buttermilk + 6 additional tablespoons
> >>> 2 T. salt
> >>> 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (~ 3 1/2 lb.)
> >>> 3 c. flour
> >>> 2 t. baking powder
> >>> 1/4 t. thyme
> >>> 1/2 t. black pepper
> >>> 1/2 t. garlic powder
> >>> 4-5 c. vegetable shortening or peanut oil
>
> > Only an idiot would fry in shortening these days. *I'm not calling you
> > an idiot, you were just too lazy to remove the words from your quoted
> > post, but then you openly admit to being lazy.
>
> I don't alter other people's recipes - feel free if that's your thing.

Extend that to fishing. What if the instructions were to use lead
sinkers and to bite them to secure them to the line?

> I prefer to use good clean vegetable oil.

Me too, and I don't suggest to others that they do otherwise, well,
unless it's to use good clean rendered animal fat.

> Here's a clue for you: a piece
> of chicken cooked in shortening ain't gonna kill you. Try it yourself if
> you don't believe me. :-)
>
A few chips of lead paint "ain't gonna kill you" either. "Try it
yourself if
you don't believe me." You won't notice a thing. Do it as often as
I make fried chicken. A tiny bit of ethylene glycol antifreeze lends
your coffee a certain sweetness...

> >>> Kate
>
> > --Bryan

--Bryan