Poultry: Fried 08 by Recipe Cottage

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	Fried 08

		ZEN AND THE ART OF SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN SOAKING CHICKEN FOR FRYING I've tried soaking chicken at various times in milk, buttermilk or salted water. I've fried it without soaking it at all. I don't discern any appreciable difference in the milk soaked chicken and chicken that has not been soaked. (I don't like the crust on chicken that's been rolled in beaten egg.) Soaking the chicken in buttermilk does impart a noticeable flavor in the meat, primarily because of the tanginess of the milk and the salt that's in it. But is wastes so much delicious buttermilk! And you really need to soak it overnight to achieve any additional flavor. By current preferred method for soaking chicken is to soak it in heavily salted water. It's easy, cheap, and quick and very, very effective. I usually cut up the frying hen and then soak it in ice cold water to which has been added 1 cup salt (Usually Kosher, but you can use anything.) I soak it for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Bring the chicken to room temperature before you begin frying. The above steps take time and patience. Stop awhile and mediate on the beingness of chickens and where you are standing in the light and empty your mind of everything, especially fears of salmonella. FLOUR COATINGS Chicken is not wildly flavorful. It's subtle and it marries well with so many other flavors. That's why chefs love it and cook so much of it. I usually season the hell out of the flour I'm going to roll the chicken in. I've added thyme, garlic powder, white pepper, cayenne pepper, celery seed. Use what's at hand, but use a lot of it. You will notice that you are becoming the herbs and spices, and rather than them coming from outside you, they seem to pour out of you as you focus your concentration on making your signature coating. OILS Corn oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, lard, bacon fat. Corn oil has sugars in it, so it can become somewhat sticky in the skillet. It's okay. Use it if that's all you have. Peanut oil. Great. Too expensive though. Lard. This is the real McCoy of course for frying genuine, authentic Southern Fried Chicken. Don't tell your guests, they're likely to run screaming from the room or think that you've gone mad and are really a terrible cook, or a stupid one. Add a little bacon fat for extra flavor. If you know how to make your own homemade lard, you're a blessed soul. Fry your chicken in homemade lard sometime and find out why Southern Fried Chicken ever got to be so popular in the first place. The store bought lard won't give you the same results. Vegetable oil. The oil of choice these days. It's got a high smoke point, it's relatively cheap, it's considered more healthful. Crisco is the standard national brand most people use. Solid or liquid is fine. Canola oil is excellent too and I prefer it to Crisco. Anoint yourself. SKILLETS: Any heavy bottom frying pay will do. A cast iron skillet is de riguer, of course. It's the best. It just is. Just be. FRYING Rinse your chicken parts off. Roll them immediately in the flour coating while still wet. Put them on a plate or rack. If you want extra crispy, wait about 20 minutes and re-roll the pieces in the flour. I believe that it's a culinary conceit that the oil must be smoking before you add the chicken parts. It's somehow supposed to make it less greasy. It doesn't. I've started it when the skillet was smoking and I've started frying when the oil was only medium hot. When the oil is smoking hot, it only seems to burn the outside of the chicken before the inside is done, especially if you've soaked it in milk. I don't believe that it's necessary. I simply don't notice that the chicken is less oily when fried this way. It's fried. You cannot, nor should you want to, remove all the oil from the chicken. Then it would be baked chicken. If you're too afraid of eating a little oil, don't ruin your day by making this dish. Find your harmony. Peace with oil. Try this: Get the oil just until it will sizzle nicely when you put in a piece of chicken. Set the burner at about medium. Have your chicken at room temperature. Put the pieces in, being careful not to overcrowd. Cover the skillet. Every 6-8 minutes, turn the chicken and recover the skillet. Every time you turn, turn up the heat just a little. Continue this for 3 or 4 turnings. Remove the cover and turn the heat up to high in order to put a nice golden crust on the chicken. We are on fire and we are not consumed. Drain on paper towel. Serve warm. Hold it in a warm oven, if you need to. Cold, the next day, right out of the refrigerator, is manna from heaven.