Make Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is popular because it's tasty and it can be eaten both freshly cooked or cold as a picnic food or cold-plate snack. Fried chicken is so popular that it's often part of the menu of many fast food and restaurant chains and indeed, of all meats, it is only chicken that tends to be fried on a regular basis. Properly done, fried chicken is totally delectable, which explains why it's a taste few are willing to give up!
Making fried chicken at home has a number of benefits. You control the quality of the ingredients, meaning that you can use the freshest possible and you can opt for organic chicken if you wish. Also, you can vary the ingredients to taste. And it's highly likely that everyone will want to eat the chicken at the family table, so it's a sure-fire winner for mealtime. This article provides several variations of fried chicken that you can try.
Contents
Ingredients
Fried chicken escalopes:
- 1 chicken, about 1.5kg (3lb 3 oz), jointed into 8 pieces, boned and skinned
- 1 small white loaf of bread with crusts removed; 2 day old bread is best
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh herbs
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Sunflower oil, for frying
Southern-fried chicken:
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, freshly milled
- Cayenne pepper, pinch
- 150ml (5 fl oz) buttermilk
- 4 back bacon rashers
- 150g (5 1/2 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
- Sunflower oil, for frying
Original fried chicken:
- 1 egg
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup flour
- 3 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (not salt)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 4 tsp black pepper
- 6-8 cups Crisco cooking oil
- 2 fryer, or young frying chicken, cut in pieces
- (optional) Add a teaspoon/ two of red chili powder for a spicy flavor
- 1 tsp of crushed onions
Fried spring chicken:
- Spring chicken
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cayenne, pinch
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley, very finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
- Fresh white breadcrumbs
- Lemon quarters for garnish
Deep-fried chicken:
- 115g (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 lemon, juice and grated zest of
- 2 tbsp tarragon, chopped
- 4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 large egg
- 115g ( 4 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
- Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
Steps
Fried Chicken Escalopes
This is a shallow fry method of preparing the chicken.
- Prepare the escalopes. Remove the skin and tendons from the chicken. Put the chicken fillets between two sheets of plastic food wrap or parchment paper and pound with a rolling pin. The aim is to flatten them evenly to about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} (1/2") in depth. The flattened pieces are now known as escalopes.
- Dice the bread. Add the diced pieces to the food processor and process into breadcrumbs. Pour them into a shallow, wide bowl or dish.
- Season the escalopes with salt and pepper to taste. Brush each escalope with mustard and sprinkle over the chopped fresh herbs.
- Dip each escalope into the beaten egg. Be sure to coat both sides evenly.
- Dip and drag through the breadcrumbs. Seek to coat as thoroughly as possible.
- Heat the oil in the pan. Add about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} (1/2") of oil to the pan.
- Add the coated escalopes. Fry in the shallow oil for about 4–5 minutes. They are done when they are brown.
- Remove from the heat. Drain on paper.
- Serve. If you are cooking one at a time, keep the fried ones warm in the oven until serving time.
Southern Fried Chicken
This is a shallow fry method of preparing the chicken.
- Slice each breast and thigh diagonally to make 4 pieces.
- Combine the mustard with the salt, pepper and cayenne. Brush the mixture over the chicken pieces.
- Place the chicken pieces into a bowl filled with the buttermilk. Turn around gently to coat in buttermilk.
- Prepare the bacon. Pour in the oil to a depth of {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} (1/2") and heat it. Cook the bacon until crisp. Lift the bacon out and leave to cool. Once it has cooled enough to handle, cut into small pieces.
- Mix the pieces of chopped bacon in with the breadcrumbs. Coat the buttermilk covered chicken with the bacon and breadcrumb mixture.
- Add more oil to the same pan you used for the bacon. Again, the depth of oil should be {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} (1/2"). Heat gently.
- It is important that the cooking oil temperature is not too hot because this can cause the outside to crisp before the inside is cooked. If you notice that the oil starts to smoke, it's too hot. Add a little more oil and reduce the temperature immediately.
- Add the chicken pieces. Fry for about 10 minutes. Turn once during the frying time. The amount of time needed for cooking will depend on the thickness of the pieces; a golden brown color is a good indication that the chicken is cooked.
- Remove from the pan and serve. Sprinkle with salt.
- Keep fried pieces warm in the oven until all are completed before serving.
Original Fried Chicken
This is a deep-fried method of preparing the chicken.
- Prepare the batter by placing eggs and milk into one bowl.
- Combine the flour, breadcrumbs and seasonings into another bowl.
- Dip each chicken piece, first, into the flour, then the batter, and again into the flour. Place the coated pieces on a plate.
- Add oil to a large, deep fryer. The fryer should be suitable for frying chicken. Heat on the stove at a medium setting. Watch to see that it does not get too hot and "spit". To test to see if the oil is hot, put your hands under the water faucet then flick the water from your fingers over the oil. If it sizzles, you know the oil is hot enough to add the chicken to fry.
- Remove from pan after the chicken is a golden brown color.
- Place on paper towels, on the counter top.
- Serve. Serve with coleslaw, salad or steamed vegetables of choice.
- If you're going on a picnic, allow the fried chicken to cool down and pack in its own container, along with other food items ready for the outing.
Fried Spring Chicken
This is a deep fry method of preparing the chicken.
- Assemble the items and tools needed to complete the recipe.
- Cut the spring chicken into 6 pieces, namely 2 wings, 2 legs and 2 pieces of the breast.
- Mix the 2 tablespoons of oil with the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a little cayenne.
- Add the finely chopped garlic clove, parsley and if using, the ground ginger.
- Arrange the chicken pieces in a bowl or tray for marinating. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken pieces. Leave for 30 minutes.
- Drain the chicken pieces.
- Coat with breadcrumbs.
- Heat deep frying oil to 180ºC/350ºF.
- Add each piece to the deep frying oil. Cook for 13-15 minutes or until golden.
- Remove. Drain on paper towels.
- Sprinkle with a little more salt. Serve with the lemon quarters.
Deep Fried Chicken
This is a deep fry method of preparing the chicken.
- Assemble the items and tools needed to complete the recipe.
- Add the butter, lemon zest and tarragon into a bowl. Cream together.
- Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Place the butter on a piece of foil. Shape it into a rectangular piece. Wrap this rectangular block and place in the freezer. Remove only when it has set solid.
- Flatten the chicken breast into an escalope (see method above under "Fried chicken escalopes").
- Remove the frozen butter. Cut it into four even pieces.
- Place each piece of butter inside an escalope, completely enveloping it. Roll each fillet tightly over the butter.
- Keep the butter-filled chicken fillet intact by piercing each end with a toothpick.
- Crack the egg and beat it lightly. Dip the chicken pieces into the egg to coat evenly.
- Roll the egg-covered chicken pieces in the breadcrumbs. Be sure it is evenly covering the chicken; you may need to press them into place.
- Refrigerate the breadcrumb covered chicken fillets. The coating must set before removing them.
- Heat the oil in the deep-frying pan. It should reach a temperature of 190ºC/375ºF. Do not use it if it is hotter than this or it will cook the outside of the chicken but not the meat.
- Add the chicken pieces in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fry for about 10 minutes. They can be removed when they are golden brown.
- Keep cooked pieces warm in the oven.
- Drain on kitchen paper.
- Serve. Remember to remove the cocktail sticks before serving. When cut open, the buttery insides should melt out deliciously.
Keeping Fried Chicken Warm
In all of the suggested fried chicken variants above, it is recommended that you only fry a small amount at a time, to ensure the best consistency and adequate cooking. As such, this will usually mean that you have to do the frying in batches and you'll need to keep some of the fried pieces warm in the interim. Here is one method guaranteed to maintain the freshness:
- Put a little water in an oven dish, wad up some tin foil into balls.
- Line over the top of the tin foil balls with a large piece of tin foil big enough to wrap all the fried chicken in.
- Cover all with a lid and place in the oven on 150-200ºF/65-95ºC. Now you have made a homemade steamer pan.
- Keep chicken in the oven until it is ready to eat. It will come out really tender.
Tips
- If you are frying a lot of chicken, it's recommended to do it in small batches so that you maintain good control over the cooking temperatures and length of cooking time. Fried pieces can be kept warm on a plate in the oven if needed.
- For crispier fried chicken, don't combine the flour and breadcrumbs. Instead, dredge the pieces of chicken in the flour, coating with as little flour as possible (this will prevent your breading from falling off later). Then dip into the egg/milk mixture, then into the seasoned breadcrumbs. Coat well with the breadcrumbs, then place into the fryer. Follow the cooking instructions above, or cook to 165ºF/73ºC internal temperature for thighs and legs, 160ºF/71ºC for breasts and wings. Start with your thighs, then add legs, then breasts, then wings. The chicken will finish together.
- When frying poultry, choose oils that work well at high heat. The oil should have a reasonably high flash point (the point at which it starts to burn and change color) and it should also be a background flavor, not an overwhelming one. Good choices include peanut oil, sunflower and some other vegetable oils.
- Cook chicken thoroughly. To ensure safety, chicken must be thoroughly cooked. It is therefore important to observe the cooking times or indicators explained in the recipe, to ensure both maximum taste and maximum safe eating.
- If you fry in batches in a shallow pan, renew the oil between each patch to remove loose breadcrumbs or they'll burn.
- If you want the chicken to be crispy and well cooked, set the stove to low; it will cook the inside of the chicken.
- For an easier method of preparing the chicken, combine all the dry ingredients into a large zip lock bag. Add the chicken pieces a few at a time, and shake to evenly coat each piece. When coated, place on a plate, and add more chicken into the bag. Repeat until all pieces are coated. Then dip them into the liquid and fry them.
Warnings
- Make sure the chicken is not pink; raw or improperly cooked chicken can harbor diseases like salmonella and can also cause food poisoning. Make sure it is cooked till white.
- Treat hot oil with the utmost care. Handle carefully and keep children and pets well away while frying. Keep your face away from the oil, as oil can pop up unexpectedly and it burns if it comes into contact with skin and eyes.
- Use tongs to put the batter chicken into and remove from the frying pan.
- Watch the oil so it does not get too hot; too hot of an oil risks burning food or cooks only the outside.
- When serving the chicken, avoid getting burned by using baking gloves.
Things You'll Need
- Bowls for mixing and coating
- Plates for breadcrumbs
- Tongs
- Kitchen paper
- Frying item (pan or deep frying pot)
- Parchment paper or plastic wrap
- Rolling pin or similar for escalopes
- Items for steaming in oven if keeping fried chicken warm
- Napkins
