"Damsel in dis Dress" > wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Aug 2006 12:54:55 -0500, notbob > wrote:
>>I also noticed the 350° oil is damn hot oil. It was actually rather
>>difficult keeping it up there. Even turning the chicken the first
>>time dropped temps 25°. I was constantly cranking my big hob to HIGH
>>to keep temps up. This with at least 2-1/2 C of canola oil in a good
>>iron skillet and I didn't overload the pan (1 chicken, 2 batches). I
>>suspect most folks are really cooking not at 350°, but closer to
>>320-330° if my temp readings are any indication.
>
> I think you're supposed to start at 360F and then leave the
> temperature alone. The cooling effect of the chicken was probably
> allowed for in the original recipe, and the oil was likely never
> intended to remain at a constant 360F.

350° is damn hot to try and maintain. As long as the temperature remains
above 275° or so (preferrably 300° or a little above), things will be okay
and there will be less tendency for burning. The other thing is to keep
moving the chicken so the same spot doesn't sit in contact with the bottom
of the pan. I believe the pan bottom itself is well in excess of the
temperature of the oil above it. I think one would get a different result in
a fryer with a basket elevated above the pan bottom compared to sitting
right on the bottom.

I tend to fry for about 10 to 12 minutes per side. I've used a digital meat
thermometer and learned to not fry until the center reaches whatever your
target temperature is. It is amazing how much higher the center temperature
keeps rising after the chicken pieces are removed from the pan. I fry in a
classic deep cast iron chicken fryer (like a deep skillet with cover). I fry
in two batches. The first batch has cooled on the outside to the point one
can actually eat it, while the center has risen to a safe temperature, by
the time the second batch is finished. The timing also depends on how big
the bird was you started with. The thigh on a 6 pound "fryer" is going to
take a whole lot longer than that from a 3 pound fryer. (Yes, in my
supermarket, those 6 pound monsters are still called "fryers". That's
because the "roasters" can be even bigger yet.)

Practice makes perfect. Your fried chicken will start looking a whole lot
nicer once you've done it several times and get a feel for the method.

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