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.

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

Whisk together 2 c. buttermilk and salt in large bowl until salt is
dissolved. Add chicken pieces to bowl and stir to coat; cover bowl with
plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Don’t let chicken soak much
longer or it will become too salty.) Whisk flour, baking powder, thyme,
pepper, and garlic powder together in large bowl. Add remaining 6
tablespoons buttermilk; with your fingers rub flour and buttermilk
together until buttermilk is evenly incorporated into flour and mixture
resembles coarse wet sand. Working in batches of two, drop chicken
pieces into flour mixture and turn to thoroughly coat, gently pressing
flour mixture onto chicken. Shake excess flour from each piece of
chicken and transfer to wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Heat
oil (it should measure 3/4" deep) in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven
with 11" diameter over medium-high heat until it reaches 375F. Place
chicken pieces, skin-side down, in oil, cover, and fry until deep golden
brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove lid after 4 minutes and lift chicken pieces
to check for even browning; rearrange if some pieces are browning faster
than others. (At this point, oil should be about 300F. Adjust burner,
if necessary, to regulate temperature of oil.) Turn chicken pieces over
and continue to fry, uncovered, until chicken pieces are deep golden
brown on second side, 6-8 minutes longer. (At this point, to keep
chicken from browning too quickly, adjust burner to maintain oil
temperature of about 315F.) Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate
lined with paper towels; let stand for 5 minutes to drain. Serve.
Serves 4. (We wanted to create juicy, rich tasting fried chicken at
home without the big mess, and with a crust as crunchy as KFC. Keeping
the oil at the correct temperature is essential to producing crunchy
fried chicken that is neither too brown nor too greasy. Use a
candy/deep-fry thermometer to check the temperature of the oil before
you add the chicken. If you cannot find a chicken that weighs 3 1/2 lb.
or less, or if you don’t have a pan that is 11" in diameter, you will
have to fry the chicken in two batches. Follow the recipe, frying the
chicken four pieces at a time and keeping the first batch warm in a 200F
oven while the second batch is cooking. From Cook’s Country TV)

To go with it I made a roasted potato salad. I had some baby white
potatoes which I cut into approximately 8-10 pieces each. I sprayed
a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil with olive oil PAM and then
spread the potatoes on the sheet, salted and peppered them, and then
sprayed the potatoes with the PAM. Baked for about 1/2 hour at 350F
until nice and brown. Cooled to just warm to the touch. Meanwhile
fried some diced bacon. Also had some shallots left over from something
so I chopped them up. Put potatoes in bowl and added diced bacon and
shallots. Then I sprinkled on some seasoned salt and added MW and a
splash of fake balsamic vinegar and mixed it all up. It was quite
tasty.

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?

> 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.

> Kate
>

Actually, good instant-read thermometers are really inexpensive, and
accurate.

N.

Nancy2 > wrote:
>Kate writes:
>
>> 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.
>
>> Kate
>>
>
>Actually, good instant-read thermometers are really inexpensive, and
>accurate.

And everyone has a handy holster for that gadget. hehe

On Apr 19, 3:02*pm, Nancy2 > wrote:
> > 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.
> > Kate
>
> Actually, good instant-read thermometers are really inexpensive, and
> accurate.
>
> N.

You can get an instant read thermometer at Target for about $10. I
bought one at Linens and Things about 18 years ago for $10. Once you
have it, it's always there. Hardly a "gagdet". The only trouble is,
the dial thermometers only go up to 230 degrees. To use it for deep
frying, you need to make sure it goes up to 400 degrees. There is one
at Target thta goes up to 450 deg. That one will cost you $15. Still
not "expensive" for something you can use every time you cook any type
of meat or chicken, or bake bread, or make jelly... or fry chicken. If
you have it 5 years (a conservative estimate), that's $3 a year. Even
if you only use it 300 days out of the year, that's about a penny per
use. Not expensive at all for something that will certainly make you a
better cook.

On 4/19/2010 3:46 PM, Pinstripe Sniper wrote:
> Kate > 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!!!!!
>
> Are you using the 3 qt or the 5 qt?
> http://www.lodgemfg.com/Logic-fryers.asp
>
> I wonder if it could also be used as a flat bottomed wok?
>
> (Lodge sells a wok too. I would speculate that a 3/16" or even 1/4"
> steel wok would be better. Mainly because you wouldn't have to worry
> about it cracking.
> https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefro...idProduct=3983
> )

I have a Chinese-made wok that someone gave me for Christmas many
decades ago. It's relatively thin and assuredly not stainless. Came
with cleaning instructions--scrub it with a bamboo scrubber that was
included and if that doesn't get it clean heat it red-hot. No attempt
to reinvent it seems to work as well.

On Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:18:12 -0400, 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.

Oh My God! If it was such a pain in the ass why did you bother? If
you're this negative in real life it's no surprise you live alone and
don't even have your own computer or access.

Lou

On 2010-04-19 11:18:12 -0700, Kate Connally said:

> in my new Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron chicken cooker that
> my SIl got me for Xmas.

You certainly talked me out of getting one, but can you say what the
actual model number is?
--
If you limit your actions in life to things that nobody can possibly
find fault with, you will not do much. -- Lewis Carroll

In article >,
Kate Connally > wrote:

> To go with it I made a roasted potato salad. I had some baby white
> potatoes which I cut into approximately 8-10 pieces each. I sprayed
> a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil with olive oil PAM and then
> spread the potatoes on the sheet, salted and peppered them, and then
> sprayed the potatoes with the PAM. Baked for about 1/2 hour at 350F
> until nice and brown. Cooled to just warm to the touch. Meanwhile
> fried some diced bacon. Also had some shallots left over from something
> so I chopped them up. Put potatoes in bowl and added diced bacon and
> shallots. Then I sprinkled on some seasoned salt and added MW and a
> splash of fake balsamic vinegar and mixed it all up. It was quite
> tasty.
>
> Kate
>
> --
> Kate Connally

And worth the trouble? :-)

Sounds good to me, thanks for the post!
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
*Only Irish *coffee provides in a single glass all four *essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar *and fat. --Alex Levine

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. :-)

>
> 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
>
> Whisk together 2 c. buttermilk and salt in large bowl until salt is
> dissolved. Add chicken pieces to bowl and stir to coat; cover bowl with
> plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Don’t let chicken soak much longer
> or it will become too salty.) Whisk flour, baking powder, thyme, pepper,
> and garlic powder together in large bowl. Add remaining 6 tablespoons
> buttermilk; with your fingers rub flour and buttermilk together until
> buttermilk is evenly incorporated into flour and mixture resembles
> coarse wet sand. Working in batches of two, drop chicken pieces into
> flour mixture and turn to thoroughly coat, gently pressing flour mixture
> onto chicken. Shake excess flour from each piece of chicken and transfer
> to wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Heat oil (it should measure
> 3/4" deep) in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven with 11" diameter over
> medium-high heat until it reaches 375F. Place chicken pieces, skin-side
> down, in oil, cover, and fry until deep golden brown, 8-10 minutes.
> Remove lid after 4 minutes and lift chicken pieces to check for even
> browning; rearrange if some pieces are browning faster than others. (At
> this point, oil should be about 300F. Adjust burner, if necessary, to
> regulate temperature of oil.) Turn chicken pieces over and continue to
> fry, uncovered, until chicken pieces are deep golden brown on second
> side, 6-8 minutes longer. (At this point, to keep chicken from browning
> too quickly, adjust burner to maintain oil temperature of about 315F.)
> Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate lined with paper towels; let
> stand for 5 minutes to drain. Serve. Serves 4. (We wanted to create
> juicy, rich tasting fried chicken at home without the big mess, and with
> a crust as crunchy as KFC. Keeping the oil at the correct temperature is
> essential to producing crunchy fried chicken that is neither too brown
> nor too greasy. Use a candy/deep-fry thermometer to check the
> temperature of the oil before you add the chicken. If you cannot find a
> chicken that weighs 3 1/2 lb. or less, or if you don’t have a pan that
> is 11" in diameter, you will have to fry the chicken in two batches.
> Follow the recipe, frying the chicken four pieces at a time and keeping
> the first batch warm in a 200F oven while the second batch is cooking.
> From Cook’s Country TV)
>
> To go with it I made a roasted potato salad. I had some baby white
> potatoes which I cut into approximately 8-10 pieces each. I sprayed
> a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil with olive oil PAM and then
> spread the potatoes on the sheet, salted and peppered them, and then
> sprayed the potatoes with the PAM. Baked for about 1/2 hour at 350F
> until nice and brown. Cooled to just warm to the touch. Meanwhile
> fried some diced bacon. Also had some shallots left over from something
> so I chopped them up. Put potatoes in bowl and added diced bacon and
> shallots. Then I sprinkled on some seasoned salt and added MW and a
> splash of fake balsamic vinegar and mixed it all up. It was quite
> tasty.
>
> Kate
>

On Apr 20, 3:30*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. 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.
>
> > 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.
>
> > Kate

--Bryan

"Kate Connally" > wrote in message
...
> 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.
snip
You could have 'fried' the chicken instead of deep frying it. Then you
would have only needed about a half-inch of oil in the pan. Personally, I
don't like the idea of deep frying on top of the stove where everything can
be moved and jostled. I'd rather have a dedicated deep fryer that maintains
its temp.
Janet

On Apr 20, 8:38*am, "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
> "Kate Connally" > wrote in message
>
> ...> 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.
>
> * snip
> You could have 'fried' the chicken instead of deep frying it. *Then you
> would have only needed about a half-inch of oil in the pan. *Personally, I
> don't like the idea of deep frying on top of the stove where everything can
> be moved and jostled. *I'd rather have a dedicated deep fryer that maintains
> its temp.
> Janet

I can pan-fry or even deep fry thin items in my deep 12" square
electric skillet with temperature control. I put it on top the stove
(so I can use the exhaust fan) - no problems. I've done everything
from fried pork tenderloin sandwiches (fairly thin) to hush puppies
(fairly thick) to Swedish rosettes (cookies).

N.

On 4/20/2010 2:08 AM, Food Snob® wrote:
> 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.

>>
>>> 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. I
prefer to use good clean vegetable oil. 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. :-)

>>
>>> Kate
>
> --Bryan

On 4/20/2010 3:38 AM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
> "Kate > wrote in message
> ...
>> 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.
> snip
> You could have 'fried' the chicken instead of deep frying it. Then you
> would have only needed about a half-inch of oil in the pan. Personally, I
> don't like the idea of deep frying on top of the stove where everything can
> be moved and jostled. I'd rather have a dedicated deep fryer that maintains
> its temp.
> Janet
>

Good point. I completely missed the part about 4 to 5 cups of oil. Only
a Mr. Bungle would use that amount! Personally, I think using the
correct amount of oil and frequent turning makes for a juicy chicken. Of
course, it's important not to overcook the chicken.

On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:17:54 -1000, dsi1 > wrote:


>Good point. I completely missed the part about 4 to 5 cups of oil. Only
>a Mr. Bungle would use that amount! Personally, I think using the
>correct amount of oil and frequent turning makes for a juicy chicken. Of
>course, it's important not to overcook the chicken.
>

I grew up in VA, and we had pan fried chicken at least once a week. I
don't remember my mother using more than a film of oil in the pan. And
I don't remember her actually using oil. It was probably Crisco, or
bacon fat, or a mixture of the two.

It's odd, cause I helped with frying that chicken most of the time.
You would have thought it would have sunk in in all those years, as to
exactly what was done.

I do remember that it was fried at a fairly high temp for the first
few minutes, then the heat was turned down and the pan was partially
covered after that. The chicken was turned fairly often...

I am still trying to recreate that fried chicken, after leaving home
over 40 years ago. Have gotten closer, but it has taken trial and
error to get there. Nowadays, I tend to use a mixture of lard and
bacon fat and shallow fry/pan fry it. And I find that it needs more
salt than one suspects. I usually salt and pepper it prior to
dredging it in flour and these days I sometimes add a bit of smoked
paprika to the flour. I am still trying to figure out when and if to
cover the pan... and if I should only partially cover it. Some
folks recommend covering the pan right away, and cooking with a lower
temp, then uncovering and raising the temp.

Christine, who has some chicken thighs that might be calling out to be
fried.

On 4/19/2010 3:46 PM, Pinstripe Sniper wrote:
> Kate > 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!!!!!
>
> Are you using the 3 qt or the 5 qt?
> http://www.lodgemfg.com/Logic-fryers.asp

It's the 5-qt.

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?

On 4/19/2010 7:06 PM, none of your business wrote:
> On Apr 19, 3:02 pm, > wrote:
>>> 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.
>>> Kate
>>
>> Actually, good instant-read thermometers are really inexpensive, and
>> accurate.
>>
>> N.
>
> You can get an instant read thermometer at Target for about $10. I
> bought one at Linens and Things about 18 years ago for $10. Once you
> have it, it's always there. Hardly a "gagdet". The only trouble is,
> the dial thermometers only go up to 230 degrees. To use it for deep
> frying, you need to make sure it goes up to 400 degrees. There is one
> at Target thta goes up to 450 deg. That one will cost you $15.

Well, I guess our definitions of "expensive" differ. ;-) I would
consider $10-$15 expensive for something like a thermometer, but
cheap for something like a car. ;-)

> Still
> not "expensive" for something you can use every time you cook any type
> of meat or chicken, or bake bread, or make jelly... or fry chicken.

I wouldn't be using it for anything but deep-frying and candy-making.
I can't see the need for it in bread-making - I've been making all kinds
of bread for the last 45 years and never once felt the need of a
thermometer. Meat - don't feel the need for it. Hardly ever make jelly
but when I have I have not felt the need for a thermometer.

> If
> you have it 5 years (a conservative estimate), that's $3 a year. Even
> if you only use it 300 days out of the year, that's about a penny per
> use. Not expensive at all for something that will certainly make you a
> better cook.

I don't think I can be a better cook than I already am. ;-) With the
possible exception of making fried chicken. ;-)

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?

On 4/19/2010 9:24 PM, gtr wrote:
> On 2010-04-19 11:18:12 -0700, Kate Connally said:
>
>> in my new Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron chicken cooker that
>> my SIl got me for Xmas.
>
> You certainly talked me out of getting one, but can you say what the
> actual model number is?

Not off the top of my head but it's the 12", 3 1/4" deep chicken
frying pan with the cast iron lid. I believe there is a similar
one with a glass lid.

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?

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?

On 4/20/2010 8:08 AM, Food Snob® wrote:
> 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.

That's what I do. I get a 10-lb. bag for $6.something at Walmart.

> 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.

The words were in the actual recipe that I copied from Cooks Country
TV web site. I left it in because I have no objection to cooking with
shortening, but I usually use oil because it's easier. And yea, I
readily admit to being lazy and probably becoming brain-dead from eating
things made with shortening.

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?

On 4/20/2010 9:38 AM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
> "Kate > wrote in message
> ...
>> 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.
> snip
> You could have 'fried' the chicken instead of deep frying it.

It's not deep-fried. The oil is only 2" deep. It does not cover the
chicken - at least it didn't cover the large thighs I cooked in it.
It might have covered smaller pieces. I don't think you can properly
cook something like that in a smaller amount of oil. The oil would have
to go at least half-way up the sides of the pieces so that it would get
cooked all over.

> Then you
> would have only needed about a half-inch of oil in the pan. Personally, I
> don't like the idea of deep frying on top of the stove where everything can
> be moved and jostled.

Hah! There is no way to "jostle" at 15-lb. cast iron skillet! ;-)

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?

On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:05:33 -0400, Kate Connally
> wrote:


>It's not deep-fried. The oil is only 2" deep. It does not cover the
>chicken - at least it didn't cover the large thighs I cooked in it.
>It might have covered smaller pieces. I don't think you can properly
>cook something like that in a smaller amount of oil. The oil would have
>to go at least half-way up the sides of the pieces so that it would get
>cooked all over.

Yes, you can fry in much less oil. I know from experience, having
grown up with fried chicken cooked that way. It's called shallow/pan
frying.
It does get cooked all over, but you have to turn it occasionally
during the frying process. Makes very good fried chicken.

Christine

On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:52:18 -0400, Kate Connally
> wrote:


>I don't think I can be a better cook than I already am. ;-) With the
>possible exception of making fried chicken. ;-)

And buying the chicken at walmart. idiot.

Lou

On 4/20/2010 10:57 AM, Kate Connally wrote:
>
> 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.

I don't mind white meat, just don't want to fry it up. The ironic part
is that the dark meat one gets from a lot from restaurants that
specialize in chicken is pretty icky. It's some kind of thigh and rib
bones conglomeration covered with dough so thick you can't make heads or
tails out of it. You have to have keen analytical skills in chickenology
to figure out where the heck to put that first bite in. :-)

>
> Kate
>

On Apr 20, 1:06*pm, dsi1 > wrote:
> On 4/20/2010 2:08 AM, Food Snob wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > 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.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >>> 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

On 4/20/2010 9:45 AM, Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:19:16 -1000, > wrote:
>
>> I think you're on the right track. Your observation about salt mirrors
>> mine. I'll add paprika sometimes too - mostly for color. If I can
>> remember, sometimes dehydrated garlic powder and MSG most of the time.
>> OTOH, just salt and pepper is tasty too. I can't imagine cooking chicken
>> with a small amount of oil. If you're able to do this, I'd be interested
>> in how that's done.
>
> Oh, it is very common in the South and other places to shallow fry/pan
> fry chicken. Probably more common than deep frying... It doesn't
> take that much, really.
>
> Christine

It's likely that my idea of a thin film of oil* differs vastly from
yours but I'm guessing that your down-South oil thickness is pretty near
the same as my waaay-down-South oil thickness. I just pour in the oil
until it looks about right and I'll bet that you do too.

I don't make fried chicken much but when prepared correctly, this simple
dish is a great earthly pleasure. :-)


*A thin film for me would be the amount suitable for frying pancakes!

On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:52:19 -1000, dsi1
> wrote:


>It's likely that my idea of a thin film of oil* differs vastly from
>yours but I'm guessing that your down-South oil thickness is pretty near
>the same as my waaay-down-South oil thickness. I just pour in the oil
>until it looks about right and I'll bet that you do too.

No, I don't. I use a lot less than that. Maybe about 2 tablespoons
of lard, plus a tablespoon of bacon fat. Maybe less than that. It
really is very, very shallow.

My mother didn't like to use a lot of fat, unless she was making yeast
doughnuts...

Christine

On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:56:20 -0600, Christine Dabney
> wrote:


>No, I don't. I use a lot less than that. Maybe about 2 tablespoons
>of lard, plus a tablespoon of bacon fat. Maybe less than that. It
>really is very, very shallow.
>
>My mother didn't like to use a lot of fat, unless she was making yeast
>doughnuts...
>
>Christine

Addendum:
Now I will really have to test out how much I end up using. However,
it really doesn't end up being a whole hell of a lot. It probably
ends up being about a quarter inch at the most, maybe even half that.
Christine

On 4/20/2010 11:39 AM, Food Snob® wrote:
> On Apr 20, 1:06 pm, > wrote:
>> On 4/20/2010 2:08 AM, Food Snob wrote:
>>
>>> 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.

Of course, you're completely oblivious of the fact that you were too
lazy to remove the words from your 2 posts. I might be lazy but the
truth is that I don't care if the recipe calls for shortening - you're
the one complaining. Looks like that makes you lazy AND an idiot, right?

My suggestion is that you don't use shortening if it
frightens/displeases you. :-)

>>
>> 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've done that before! I've also worked with lead solder for over 20
years. It used to worry me but evidently, I've got enough brain material
to compensate. Sorry to see that you haven't been as fortunate. :-)

>
>> 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...

The world sure is a dangerous place! Please keep me informed of any
little scare that you may come up with. Thanks!

>
>>>>> Kate
>>
>>> --Bryan
>
> --Bryan

On 4/20/2010 11:56 AM, Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:52:19 -1000, dsi1
> > wrote:
>
>
>> It's likely that my idea of a thin film of oil* differs vastly from
>> yours but I'm guessing that your down-South oil thickness is pretty near
>> the same as my waaay-down-South oil thickness. I just pour in the oil
>> until it looks about right and I'll bet that you do too.
>
> No, I don't. I use a lot less than that. Maybe about 2 tablespoons
> of lard, plus a tablespoon of bacon fat. Maybe less than that. It
> really is very, very shallow.

Boy, things really are different down South! I'll have to measure out my
oil the next time I fry up some chicken. Which, if I were to predict, is
gonna be real soon. Good luck frying chicken! :-)

>
> My mother didn't like to use a lot of fat, unless she was making yeast
> doughnuts...
>
> Christine

On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:08:43 -1000, dsi1
> wrote:


>Boy, things really are different down South! I'll have to measure out my
>oil the next time I fry up some chicken. Which, if I were to predict, is
>gonna be real soon. Good luck frying chicken! :-)
>

A lot of recipes will have you use oil to a depth higher than that.
However, this is shallow frying... and is one variation on fried
chicken.

Yeah, I started some chicken defrosting here too...so I can see what I
actually do use. Maybe it is more than that. Guess I will find out.
I will be interested to see how yours does.

Christine

On 4/20/2010 5:08 PM, dsi1 wrote:
> On 4/20/2010 11:56 AM, Christine Dabney wrote:
>>
>> No, I don't. I use a lot less than that. Maybe about 2 tablespoons
>> of lard, plus a tablespoon of bacon fat. Maybe less than that. It
>> really is very, very shallow.
>
> Boy, things really are different down South! I'll have to measure out
> my oil the next time I fry up some chicken. Which, if I were to
> predict, is gonna be real soon. Good luck frying chicken! :-)

When I fry chicken, the oil comes almost half way up the chicken. I
start out with about 1/2" to 3/4" of oil in the pan, but when you add
the chicken, the oil rises.

Becca

On 4/20/2010 12:22 PM, Becca wrote:
> On 4/20/2010 5:08 PM, dsi1 wrote:
>> On 4/20/2010 11:56 AM, Christine Dabney wrote:
>>>
>>> No, I don't. I use a lot less than that. Maybe about 2 tablespoons
>>> of lard, plus a tablespoon of bacon fat. Maybe less than that. It
>>> really is very, very shallow.
>>
>> Boy, things really are different down South! I'll have to measure out
>> my oil the next time I fry up some chicken. Which, if I were to
>> predict, is gonna be real soon. Good luck frying chicken! :-)
>
> When I fry chicken, the oil comes almost half way up the chicken. I
> start out with about 1/2" to 3/4" of oil in the pan, but when you add
> the chicken, the oil rises.

You are right about this. I tend to crowd my chicken so I might use even
less oil than you. Oddly enough, crowded chicken seems to come out fine.

>
> Becca

On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:52:18 -0400, Kate Connally
> wrote:

>I don't think I can be a better cook than I already am. ;-) With the
>possible exception of making fried chicken. ;-)

Wow.

That is the exact opposite of what Thomas Keller expresses in his
striving for perfection in the craft of cooking. He is one the top
chefs in the world, and considered one of the absolute best, and he
always thinks he can do better. Maybe that is what makes him a
marvelous cook/chef.

And the same for other fantastic cooks and chefs.

I always strive to be a better cook than I already am. I know how to
do some things very, very well, but I can always learn to do it even
better. Each time I cook something, even if I have done it superbly
before, I strive to do it even better.

This is something that has been on my mind lately. I have wondered
why I am not always looking for the next best thing, or trying to
always gild the lily so to speak on various dishes. Or trying out a
new combination, although I sometimes do that. My feeling lately is
to try to perfect what I am good at..and when I tackle a new
technique, or recipe, to try to perfect that so that it comes out
better each time around. Or to perfect the flavor
combination...etc...

I have done that with making a Neapolitan type pizza. I am still
learning how to make it even better. I have been working that for
making the custard base for different ice creams, and now I use an
instant read thermometer to test when it is done. It has really cut
down on my agony of deciding whether it was close to being custard or
not. I am still working on this and variations.

I could go on and on with examples.

Okay, done with my rant...LOL

Christine

About spattering: my grandmother (who made the best fried chicken ever)
covered her cast iron chicken fryer with an aluminum colander. Worked
great. She also used lard, rendered on the farm. Wonderful stuff, not
like store bought.

Excuse me, I have an overwhelming compulsion to drag out the chicken
fryer and cook up a batch myself. I usually finish off the chicken in
the oven in a roaster so the pan drippings can be converted to country
gravy for the heap of mashed potatoes, with bacon seasoned green beans
on the side. Grandma taught me well. jh

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:08:43 -1000, dsi1
> > wrote:
>
>
>> Boy, things really are different down South! I'll have to measure out my
>> oil the next time I fry up some chicken. Which, if I were to predict, is
>> gonna be real soon. Good luck frying chicken! :-)
>>
>
> A lot of recipes will have you use oil to a depth higher than that.
> However, this is shallow frying... and is one variation on fried
> chicken.
>
> Yeah, I started some chicken defrosting here too...so I can see what I
> actually do use. Maybe it is more than that. Guess I will find out.
> I will be interested to see how yours does.
>
> Christine

Gee, Christine. Shallow frying sounds much more like something I
might do. I'd have to set things up outside though, since I don't
like grease all over the kitchen.

--
Jean B.

On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:13:43 -0400, "Jean B." > wrote:


>Gee, Christine. Shallow frying sounds much more like something I
>might do. I'd have to set things up outside though, since I don't
>like grease all over the kitchen.

That's why splatter screens are nice. And this thing:
http://fantes.com/images/18764fat.jpg

It's a folding splatter guard.

Christine

On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:35:01 -0600, Christine Dabney
> wrote:

>On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:52:18 -0400, Kate Connally
> wrote:
>
>>I don't think I can be a better cook than I already am. ;-) With the
>>possible exception of making fried chicken. ;-)
>
>Wow.

It's pretty amazing someone could actually write that. Good for you
for calling her on it. She cooks on the weekend and eats the same
thing all week. How weird. And mentioned it took her days to get all
the dishes washed. Pathetic.

<snip the RFC post of the day 4/20/10>

>I could go on and on with examples.
>
>Okay, done with my rant...LOL

IMO the truth is not ranting. Good job Christine!

Lou

Lou Decruss wrote:
> On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:35:01 -0600, Christine Dabney
> > wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:52:18 -0400, Kate Connally
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> I don't think I can be a better cook than I already am. ;-) With the
>>> possible exception of making fried chicken. ;-)
>> Wow.
>
> It's pretty amazing someone could actually write that. Good for you
> for calling her on it. She cooks on the weekend and eats the same
> thing all week. How weird. And mentioned it took her days to get all
> the dishes washed. Pathetic.
>
> <snip the RFC post of the day 4/20/10>
>
>> I could go on and on with examples.
>>
>> Okay, done with my rant...LOL
>
> IMO the truth is not ranting. Good job Christine!
>
> Lou

Did you not see her two winks?

--
Jean B.

On Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:38:08 -0400, "Jean B." > wrote:

>Lou Decruss wrote:
>> On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:35:01 -0600, Christine Dabney
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:52:18 -0400, Kate Connally
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> I don't think I can be a better cook than I already am. ;-) With the
>>>> possible exception of making fried chicken. ;-)
>>> Wow.
>>
>> It's pretty amazing someone could actually write that. Good for you
>> for calling her on it. She cooks on the weekend and eats the same
>> thing all week. How weird. And mentioned it took her days to get all
>> the dishes washed. Pathetic.
>>
>> <snip the RFC post of the day 4/20/10>
>>
>>> I could go on and on with examples.
>>>
>>> Okay, done with my rant...LOL
>>
>> IMO the truth is not ranting. Good job Christine!
>>
>> Lou
>
>Did you not see her two winks?

Google "truth said in jest"