Post by heavyhitterokra on Jan 7, 2024 13:24:52 GMT -6
Bon,
That was an awesome walk-through on the fried chicken, you are the best!
I've never understood why they don't teach cooking in school as if it were Science and chemistry combined (because it is). Good cooking takes a plethora of knowledge and skills. Ninety-nine percent of people never use the Science they were taught in school, but no one I know of can survive without food.
I copied your chicken tutorial over to this page because it was the 15th and last entry on the previous page. This way it will stay posted on the current page longer.
Bons' Fried Chicken Post:
Sir Teddy nudged me to the idea that I might make some really good fried chicken. Those bags of inferior chicken quarters are cheap so I’ve been frying them up for 20 years without thinking about it. Eventually, I started partially deboning the thighs to avoid unnecessary energy costs. Now, I roast up those hip bones after leaving some meat on them and feed them to Goober.
2 times over the last months I’ve tried to measure my ingredients for a recipe and I tell ya, both times I messed up the batch. Not badly, but they were not my best. I can eye ball it jussss fine. Weird isn’t it?
I was watching this chicken fry video to see if I learn something new. I did. I learned that the touch of heat obtained by the old grocery store here had either tobasco or Louisiana sauce in the wet mix.
He says that his oil is 370 degrees when he puts the chicken in because the cold chicken will reduce that temp ruining the initial crisp. He’s RIGHT. I do this. Also check temp before you start a second bath. The crumbs from the first batch conduct the heat faster than clean oil and it might get too hot. Or sometimes just lifting the chicken out of the oil stirs it up and reduces the temp. Tricky stuff.
That being said, I never use dairy in the wet mix. Dairy provides a thicker crust (which some might prefer) but buttermilk is old news. When people eat out for fried chicken, they’re looking for that thin whispy tender flaky crust.
My wet mix is only water and egg. I haven’t figured out that ratio yet, but it’s very wet, just enough egg to provide a gentle stick. I double dredge to build up that crust and, unfortunately, I handle it a certain way which is hard to describe. Don’t skimp on your flour mix. You need air and room for the fluff.
But that’s not the secret. The secret is: Put potato flakes into your flour. At least 1/4 cup potato flakes per 2 cups or so (or potato pearls work, too. The fresher, the better.) You can put more.
Use whatever seasonings you like. My base seasoning is garlic, salt, cumin and cayenne. The cumin and cayenne is important and I only use a touch, maybe 2 tsp for 2 cups of flour or so. Otherwise, I recommend a pre mix by someone else.
I cook about 12-15 minutes depending on the size of the chicken piece. When I think it’s done, it’s probably not. At 370? It’s certainly done when the surface of the chicken beneath the breading starts to turn a touch reddish. I’ve gotten to know when to pull it out just before that point.
_______
Chicken nuggets: Exactly the same, but use 1” pieces of chicken breast. It cooks FAST so don’t walk away. I’ve gotten to where I pull them out just before they are done and the center of the meat finishes up on the counter top. Like, juicy perfect. Cut your pieces in roughly equal volume for consistency.
Nuggets make for happy co workers! I brew up 10lbs of nuggets and divvy them up into plastic containers and toss in random small bottles of hot sauce for his co-workers.
This all started because we couldn’t afford to eat out.
That was an awesome walk-through on the fried chicken, you are the best!
I've never understood why they don't teach cooking in school as if it were Science and chemistry combined (because it is). Good cooking takes a plethora of knowledge and skills. Ninety-nine percent of people never use the Science they were taught in school, but no one I know of can survive without food.
I copied your chicken tutorial over to this page because it was the 15th and last entry on the previous page. This way it will stay posted on the current page longer.
Bons' Fried Chicken Post:
Sir Teddy nudged me to the idea that I might make some really good fried chicken. Those bags of inferior chicken quarters are cheap so I’ve been frying them up for 20 years without thinking about it. Eventually, I started partially deboning the thighs to avoid unnecessary energy costs. Now, I roast up those hip bones after leaving some meat on them and feed them to Goober.
2 times over the last months I’ve tried to measure my ingredients for a recipe and I tell ya, both times I messed up the batch. Not badly, but they were not my best. I can eye ball it jussss fine. Weird isn’t it?
I was watching this chicken fry video to see if I learn something new. I did. I learned that the touch of heat obtained by the old grocery store here had either tobasco or Louisiana sauce in the wet mix.
He says that his oil is 370 degrees when he puts the chicken in because the cold chicken will reduce that temp ruining the initial crisp. He’s RIGHT. I do this. Also check temp before you start a second bath. The crumbs from the first batch conduct the heat faster than clean oil and it might get too hot. Or sometimes just lifting the chicken out of the oil stirs it up and reduces the temp. Tricky stuff.
That being said, I never use dairy in the wet mix. Dairy provides a thicker crust (which some might prefer) but buttermilk is old news. When people eat out for fried chicken, they’re looking for that thin whispy tender flaky crust.
My wet mix is only water and egg. I haven’t figured out that ratio yet, but it’s very wet, just enough egg to provide a gentle stick. I double dredge to build up that crust and, unfortunately, I handle it a certain way which is hard to describe. Don’t skimp on your flour mix. You need air and room for the fluff.
But that’s not the secret. The secret is: Put potato flakes into your flour. At least 1/4 cup potato flakes per 2 cups or so (or potato pearls work, too. The fresher, the better.) You can put more.
Use whatever seasonings you like. My base seasoning is garlic, salt, cumin and cayenne. The cumin and cayenne is important and I only use a touch, maybe 2 tsp for 2 cups of flour or so. Otherwise, I recommend a pre mix by someone else.
I cook about 12-15 minutes depending on the size of the chicken piece. When I think it’s done, it’s probably not. At 370? It’s certainly done when the surface of the chicken beneath the breading starts to turn a touch reddish. I’ve gotten to know when to pull it out just before that point.
_______
Chicken nuggets: Exactly the same, but use 1” pieces of chicken breast. It cooks FAST so don’t walk away. I’ve gotten to where I pull them out just before they are done and the center of the meat finishes up on the counter top. Like, juicy perfect. Cut your pieces in roughly equal volume for consistency.
Nuggets make for happy co workers! I brew up 10lbs of nuggets and divvy them up into plastic containers and toss in random small bottles of hot sauce for his co-workers.
This all started because we couldn’t afford to eat out.