Fried chicken
I originally bought my deep fryer after getting a craving for fish & chips one day. Since then, it has made regular appearances in the kitchen, usually for french fries, but occasionally for fried chicken.
There is great debate over what makes great fried chicken: dark or light meat? If dark, legs or thighs? Buttermilk soak or brine? Battered or breaded? Deep fried or pan fried? Served hot or cold?
The fried chicken that I make is always dark meat, preferably legs. I forgo both the soak and the brine, instead liberally spreading on a spicy dry rub and letting it sit as long as possible (overnight is okay, a day is better). I use a combination of batter and breading, and deep fry. I can appreciate the burnt crusty bits that result from a pan fry, but the convenience of using an electric deep fryer cannot be beat.
Union restaurant held a fried chicken cook-off last year, pitting five chefs and two foodies against each other. The winner that night (due to a stacked table of friends) was a play on chicken parmesan that ended up soggy and could hardly be called fried chicken. If Ethan Stowell ever decides to run the fried chicken cook-off again, I will definitely enter!
March 4th, 2009 at 11:38 AM
that was some good fried Chicken!
March 6th, 2009 at 1:13 PM
you make the best fried chicken! I am going to steak the dry rub idea for my cookbook but I’ll credit you
March 8th, 2009 at 4:55 PM
oops i meant “steal” the dry rub idea…