Thank you, from the Foods of the World Forums! |
Southern Fried Chicken? |
Post Reply |
Author | |
Effigy
Chef Joined: 17 June 2013 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 633 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Posted: 23 August 2013 at 00:46 |
I want to learn how to do this, and it seems you guys are quite likely the best people to learn from.
The Junk Food thread got me hankering for crispy chicken, but because of my self imposed need to prepare as much food as I can with homegrown or locally sourced produce, this dish eludes me. Asian crispy skin chicken is common-as here, but I want to learn about what inspired KFC, (which has a really bad rap down here). If you draw a diagonal line from LA to Pittsburgh and look north, that's as much of the USA I have visited. I have never got to the south. So given the fact of where I live, it is pretty certain I have never tasted the real McCoy. Any one want to help? Please?
|
|
Resident Peasant
|
|
Sponsored Links | |
Hoser
Admin Group Joined: 06 February 2010 Location: Cumberland, RI Status: Offline Points: 3454 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I'll be glad to help Anne...I don't make deep fried foods very often, due to the obvious health risks but when I do it's likely to be fried chicken.
One of the best recipes I have ever used comes from southern cooking maven Paula Deen (who's been under fire lately, receiving some undeserved criticism over a single word she uttered 30 years ago!) Anyway...Paula's recipe is terrific. It will probably seem to you that it calls for too much hot sauce, but don't be afraid....you can barely notice it when the chicken is finished. First of make sure you get your oven heated to about 200°F and have some paper towel lined baking sheets to keep the chicken warm, as it takes a bit of time frying it up in batches. Here is the recipe exactly as I used it. Ingredients 3 eggs 1/3 cup water About 1 cup hot red pepper sauce (recommended: Texas Pete) 2 cups self-rising flour 1 teaspoon pepper House seasoning, recipe follows 1 (1 to 2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into pieces Oil, for frying, preferably peanut oil Directions In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange. In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Season the chicken with the house seasoning. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour mixture. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil. Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer then white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes. House Seasoning: 1 cup salt 1/4 cup black pepper 1/4 cup garlic powder Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. This recipe is just as easy as it sounds Anne...and I'm sure you'd love it. If you can't get Texas Pete hot sauce over there, I guess Frank's would be a good substitute, or Louisiana hot sauce.
|
|
Go ahead...play with your food!
|
|
Effigy
Chef Joined: 17 June 2013 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 633 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Woo Hoo! Thanks Dave.
I read labels in the supermarket Any chance you could scan or copy the backs of those sauce labels? I am thinking Franks is the most likely candidate for a local replica. I recognise certain graphical notes in that label, and we already have 'Franks' juices. (See! A degree in visual arts does have uses) Question 2; Am I right in thinking the dark meat is the better way to go with this? Given that we are discussing 'heart-attack-on-a-plate' here. Interesting that peanut is the oil for cooking, here it is an ingredient. Which makes this a really expensive experiment. Given that peanut oil is $11.40 / litre. (US $8.90)
|
|
Resident Peasant
|
|
HistoricFoodie
Admin Group Joined: 21 February 2012 Location: Kentucky Status: Offline Points: 4940 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Several comments Anne, that might help you out.
1. What made KFC was not so much the recipe but the method. The Colonel came up with a way of pressure-frying chicken. This, in turn, made the entire fast-food industry possible. 2. I've had Paula's chicken, as Dave presented it. It's good. But, as with so many of her dishes, it's not Southern Fried. The hallmark of Southern fried chicken is that the chicken is first soaked in buttermilk beforehand. This both helps tenderizes it, and lends a flavor note of it's own. 3. Some Southern cooks use fine cornmeal as the final part of the breading. But seasoned flour is the more traditional. 4. Light or dark meat is a matter of choice. Here in the South the bird is broken down into 8 pieces, and they're all fried. The livers are reserved because fried chicken livers are another Southern favorite. 5. Oil temperature is the key. Oil (which does not have to be peanut oil. Lard is traditional) should be no lower than 350F, and up to 375F is even better. If your chicken (or any other fried foods) comes out greasy then the oil temperature was too low. Peanut oil is expensive everywhere. If you want, just go with a less expensive vegetable oil. Just make sure to choose one with a high smoke point. Dave left out one thing: To truly be Southern fried, the chicken must be cooked in an old black skillet. There are deep-walled designs that actually are called chicken fryers. |
|
TasunkaWitko
Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9356 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
g'morning, anne! some information here might be helpful:
one thing that i learned was that covering the chicken while it cooks makes a big difference; when i started doing this, i noticced a dramatic improvement in the final product, especially where the crispy-crunchy coating is concerned.
|
|
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
|
|
gracoman
Chef Joined: 09 August 2013 Status: Offline Points: 885 |
Post Options
Thanks(1)
|
Anne,
There are as many recipes for Southern Fried Chicken as there are southern cooks. Each places their distinctive trademark on the basic recipe. Ah, but which basic recipe, you ask. There are 3 and they are based upon the marinade. Buttermilk, evaporated milk or water brine. Recipes all use a marinade (buttermilk, evaporated milk, milk, water), they all use a seasoning (cayenne, cajun, hot sauce, salt & pepper), they all use flour (AP, self rising, home made self rising) and they all fry in a fat (vegetable oil, peanut oil, lard). Now let the controversy begin. There must be hundreds of additions and/or subtractions to these 3 basic recipes. Following is outstanding recipe for each: Emeril Lagasse’s buttermilk fried chicken Buttermilk Southern Fried Chicken Austin Leslie’s Fried Chicken Evaporated Milk Southern Fried Chicken NOLA Cuisine’s Southern Fried Chicken Water Brined Southern Fried Chicken Hope this helps |
|
Effigy
Chef Joined: 17 June 2013 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 633 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Thanks everyone...
I guessed that there would be as many variations as there are cooks. So getting the important major commonalities is a great help thanks. It looks like I have some reading to do. I have a 7.8 litre size 3 cast iron potjie I think that will work well, also I have all day tomorrow to figure this out. I will let you know how I get on |
|
Resident Peasant
|
|
gracoman
Chef Joined: 09 August 2013 Status: Offline Points: 885 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Perhaps this article will get you moving in the "right" direction.
The Magic Of Buttermilk by Dan Gill |
|
gonefishin
Master Chef Joined: 20 September 2012 Status: Offline Points: 1778 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Nice discussion guys and gals!
I don't really have much to add on this subject...but I just wanted to say...thanks Okay, I'll add one thing as to hot sauce. Everyone has their favorite, mine is Tabasco. With only three ingredients (peppers, vinegar, salt) that are treated right, aged up to three years, in Oak Barrels. The process can be found here. Tabasco Reserve is even better...more flavor and a little more heat. This is the same process with select peppers and aged for an extended time, up to eight years, in the oak barrels. |
|
Enjoy The Food!
|
|
Effigy
Chef Joined: 17 June 2013 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 633 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Well tonight is the moment of truth - chicken is floured and setting, oil is heating....
|
|
Resident Peasant
|
|
Effigy
Chef Joined: 17 June 2013 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 633 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Who says too many cooks spoil the broth???? I read everything you all wrote, and I thought about it and I figured I understood and: It was so yummy - crunchy, moist, spicy a bit - but not too and G O N E This forum is fantastic. Flowers for you all
|
|
Resident Peasant
|
|
Effigy
Chef Joined: 17 June 2013 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 633 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Now for the horrifying truth of what I actually did.
Buttermilk - I had none, so I used week old cream soured with 2tsp lime juice and pepped up with garlic and really hot chilli sauce - I put the garlic in the cream because all the recipes I read called for garlic powder. I hate the stuff, (maybe yours is better) so I just used loads of crushed fresh in the cream marinade. (now that I am relaxed and thinking again I realise I could have used the cream to make butter and real buttermilk, du'oh.) I only had boneless, skinless chicken breast so I felt that there was a healthy trade off marinading in soured garlicky chilli double cream I used 2C plain flour, 2 tsp Baking Powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp coriander (dried leaf) 1 tsp dry thyme, 1 tsp dry sage all shaken in a bag After 7 hours in the cream I wiped most of the cream off the chicken and dropped it in the bag of seasoned flour one piece at a time, gave it a good shake and set in the fridge to rest. I gave it 3 shakes 15 minutes apart. I used half Canola half Peanut oil heated to 375°F and fried 3 at a time in a cast iron pot with a lid. What actually happened was I found the first piece cooked faster, the next two dropped the temperature to 350°F... I found that by cycling through the three pieces - removing the last piece as the temperature reached 375°F and dropping in the next new piece, by the time it reached 375°F again the first piece was cooked, golden moist perfect! Easy peasy. So whilst my ingredients were adapted, I think I got the technique - and judging by how fast it all went I did something right. |
|
Resident Peasant
|
|
Hoser
Admin Group Joined: 06 February 2010 Location: Cumberland, RI Status: Offline Points: 3454 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Great job Anne...that's what it is all about....enjoying your food and enjoying your friends.
|
|
Go ahead...play with your food!
|
|
TasunkaWitko
Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9356 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I think you did very well - your adaptations seem to be perfectly sound ~ and more importantly, it sounds as though it tasted GREAT!
|
|
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
|
|
africanmeat
Chef Joined: 20 January 2012 Location: south africa Status: Offline Points: 910 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
great job .
|
|
Ahron
|
|
gonefishin
Master Chef Joined: 20 September 2012 Status: Offline Points: 1778 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Sounds great Anne! You really are an inspirational cook! You have a task and hand...and then execute it in your own way, bravo!
Dan |
|
Enjoy The Food!
|
|
Post Reply | |
Tweet
|
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |