Add fried chicken to the list – including crêpes, baguettes, and macaroni and cheese – of things that my son never imagined in a million years that I could actually cook right here in our very own kitchen. Sauteed greens with home-preserved lemon? Sure, he’s seen that plenty of times. But fried chicken? That’s something you get at the zoo! Or for lunch at ski school!
I cut up a pasture-raised chicken (doing, I must admit, a rather ill job of it – sometimes those joints come apart with ease and other times I swear the bird is fighting back), threw the back into a plastic bag and froze it for future stock making, and put the chicken pieces in a giant bowl. I then covered them with buttermilk, a bit of salt, some black pepper, and a dash of cayenne. I covered this gruesome looking concoction and put it in the fridge overnight. The acid in the buttermilk tenderizes the bird very nicely.
The next day, I pulled the chicken out of the buttermilk. I let a lot of the buttermilk that others might rub off the chicken cling as much as it likes – I like a fairly thick coating by the time all is said and done. Then I dredged the chicken pieces in flour that I’d seasoned with salt, black pepper, and a bit of cayenne.
The trick to doing this with as little mess as possible is to keep one hand dry and one hand wet – I use my left hand to only touch or handle things that are dry, my right for things that are wet. This helps avoid having to constantly wash my hands as buttermilk and flour build up to dexterity-reducing levels during the breading process.
Then I heated plenty of vegetable oil (I decided to forgo the lard-frying in this instance) in a well seasoned cast iron pan and only added the chicken when the oil was around 350 – measure it with a thermometer or do what I do and dip the end of the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil, when the oil is the right temperature it will instantly but gently bubble up around the handle. I fried the chicken until it was brown and crispy, about 12 minutes each side.
Cast iron – or other heavy pots – are so great for frying like this because they hold heat so well and can maintain a steady temperature. You want the oil to be gently bubbling around the chicken constantly.
Drain the chicken on paper towels or on a cooling rack.
The verdict from Ernest? “Mama, this chicken is even better than the chicken at the zoo!”
Snap.
Wendy | 06-Feb-10 at 7:02 pm | Permalink
Glad you tried it — as a Southerner, I am amazed at how many from other regions quail at the thought of frying a chicken. Try brining the chicken overnight and using the buttermilk as a dredge with seasoned flour. You’ll still get the ‘tang’ and the chicken will be super moist from the brine. And, lard is the key to avoiding a smelly kitchen because it has such a high smokepoint. Always add a piece of country ham to the lard, if you’ve got it. Bon appetit!
Molly Watson | 07-Feb-10 at 9:52 am | Permalink
Thanks for the suggestion Wendy – I have, in fact, fried chicken before. I am not afraid! I just hadn’t done it in my son’s memory… perhaps I should drag out that cast iron pan more often.
On brining poultry: I must say I have stopped doing this. I now usually pre-salt chicken or turkey and let it sit at least a day in the fridge. I find this helps it hold into its own juices rather than introducing a bunch of water that, all too often, leads to a slightly spongy texture. One time I heard Harold McGee (food scientist extraordinaire) say of brining: “you would be mad at your butcher if they did it’ (plumping up the meat with water). Tryt the pre-salting – it really does lead to a moist, juicy, tasty bird.
Next time I will pre-salt then use buttermilk just for dredging. I am prepared for awesome deliciousness.
Kendra | 07-Feb-10 at 9:00 pm | Permalink
I just read this out loud to Dale because it was so awesome. Thank you. We both got a good laugh. I really hope he doesn’t make me make him fried chicken, though. I would probably make a huge mess and burn myself. But maybe he’ll make it. On a side note, do you cut your chicken with poultry shears or a chef’s knife or cleaver? I always have trouble with the cutting and have really dulled our knives before doing it, so I keep pondering whether we need to get a different tool. Lemme know!
Molly Watson | 08-Feb-10 at 9:29 am | Permalink
Thanks Kendra! I use my kitchen shears (which are more like sturdy but sharp scissors that old-fashioned poultry shears) to cut out the back bone, then I use my very sharp (I sharpen it for the job) chef’s knife to cut off the legs, separate them into thigh and drumstick, cut down the breastbone, then cut into wings/breast pieces as I need for the dish. I have a decent but by no means extensive knife collection, but I use my 8-inch chef’s knife about 95% of the time.