notbob wrote:
> As I said, it tastes great. But, mine is not that picture perfect
> chicken you see on the drain rack and serving plate on that website.
> Let's put it this way. If the chicken in the pictures is Beyoncé
> Knowles, my chicken is CCH Pounder. And here is where I want some
> honesty. How does one really cook fried chicken to cook it hot enough
> so it's not greasy, long enough that it's done, yet just enough so it
> looks appealing? Cuz I'm telling you right now, there's no way in
> Hell the recipe on that website produced the chicken in those
> pictures. Cooking chicken in oil @ 350 deg F for 12-15 mins *per
> side* is gonna get you some damn dark chicken. Sure, I know
> commercial cooking pics are mostly bogus, but I've seen real
> in-the-wild fried chicken that's both pretty and good tasting at the
> same time. So! ...what's the skinny? How did you and/or granny
> really do it? 
I posted a recipe for Deviled Fried Chicken that has never failed to
produce amazing crust even though you start by skinning the chicken. I
also perfected frying by just using large slabs of boneless breasts or
only doing drumsticks (see, only one cut of chicken, so it didn't get
confusing with various timing). Once I fried my initial batch (deep
fried in an immersion type fryer -looks a bit like a bread machine, and
removed the chicken when I thought it was done I checked a few pieces
with my instant read thermometer to confirm I'd reached the required
safe temp of 185. So then I had the timing for the rest of the large
batches I tend to make when I do fried chicken. I double the recipe at
least. Sure cuts down on the guesswork! I continue to randomly temp
test chicken as it is removed from the fryer to assure I'm still doing
okay. The breast slabs take barely 5-7 min, drumsticks a bit longer if I
recall.
I think the baking powder in my posted recipe helps give it an amazing
crust, and the way the directions call for the chicken to sit in the
flour mix for an hour after that long marination in the spicy buttermilk
mixture gives it a great start to a crust.
It is an amazing recipe. Honest.
Deviled Fried Chicken
Recipe By : Bon Appetit, August 1998
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:24
Categories : Poultry
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 tablespoons onion powder -- divided
5 teaspoons salt -- divided
4 teaspoons dry mustard -- divided
4 teaspoons cayenne -- divided
2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper -- divided
3 pounds frying chicken -- skinned
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
5 cups peanut oil
Remove backbone from fryer and cut chicken into 8 pieces. In a 1-gallon
resealable plastic bag, mix buttermilk, Dijon mustard, 1 tbls onion
powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp cayenne and 1 tsp black
pepper. Add chicken pieces. Seal bag, eliminating air. Turn bag to
coat chicken evenly. Refrigerate at least 1 day and up to 2 days,
turning plastic bag occasionally.
Whisk flour, baking powder, garlic powder, remaining 1 tbls onion
powder, 4 tsp salt, 3 tsp dry mustard, 3 tsp cayenne and 1 1/2 tsp black
pepper in 13x9x2 inch glass dish. With marinade still clinging to
chicken pieces (do not shake off excess), add chicken to flour mixture;
turn to coat thickly. Let chicken stand in flour mixture for 1 hour,
turning chicken occasionally to recoat with flour mixture.
Pour oil to depth of 1 1/4 inches into deep 10 to 12 inch diameter pot.
Attach deep-fry thermometer. Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350
degrees. Add 4 pieces of chicken, skinned side down, to oil. Reduce
heat to medium-low and fry 5 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain oil
temperature between 280 and 300 degrees (oil should bubble constantly
around chicken). Using wooden spoons, turn chicken over. Fry 7
minutes. Turn chicken over again. Fry
until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
Using same spoons, transfer chicken to a large rack set on baking
sheet. (To prevent the crust from breaking and to keep moisture sealed
in, use wooden spoons rather than tongs or a fork to turn over the
chicken pieces as they fry.)
Reheat oil to 350. Repeat frying with remaining 4 pieces of chicken.