Cold Fried Chicken Recipes

COLD FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• One day before you're frying, mix all the soaking ingredients in a big container or two. Put the thighs in to soak, and refrigerate overnight.
• The following day, mix the dredging ingredients in a big deep bowl or high-sided roasting pan. Remove the chicken from the soak, piece by piece, allowing excess buttermilk to drip off away from the dredge. Drop each piece into flour mixture, a few at a time, leaving space between each piece. Shake, and toss to coat each piece evenly and thoroughly.
• Lay the dredged chicken on a rack set over a cookie sheet to allow the coating to dry and cling, leaving space between the pieces.
• Heat oil to 325 degrees, testing with a thermometer, or by dropping a few specks of flour in, and begin to fry when the specks sizzle calmly. Fry in batches, until just shy of golden. Continue until all have been fried, lowering the heat as needed to keep the temperature constant, and straining out excess flour to keep the oil clean. Let thighs rest on a rack over a cookie sheet or dish towel. Skim all the excess flour out of the oil, or carefully strain it into a new pot and raise heat to 350. Fry the thighs again, in batches, to (in Hamilton's words) "finish to gorgeous deep golden brown."
• Drain on a rack. Leave at room temperature for a same-day picnic, or refrigerate overnight if you're eating the following day. Bring buttermilk dressing! Bring hot sauce! Bring butter lettuce! Bring rosé!

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Take your cut up chicken pieces and skin them if you prefer. Put the flour in a large plastic bag (let the amount of chicken you are cooking dictate the amount of flour you use). Season the flour with paprika, salt and pepper to taste (paprika helps to brown the chicken).
• Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk then, a few at a time, put them in the bag with the flour, seal the bag and shake to coat well. Place the coated chicken on a cookie sheet or tray, and cover with a clean dish towel or waxed paper. LET SIT UNTIL THE FLOUR IS OF A PASTE-LIKE CONSISTENCY. THIS IS CRUCIAL!
• Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot. Put in as many chicken pieces as the skillet can hold. Brown the chicken in HOT oil on both sides. When browned, reduce heat and cover skillet; let cook for 30 minutes (the chicken will be cooked through but not crispy). Remove cover, raise heat again and continue to fry until crispy.
• Drain the fried chicken on paper towels. Depending on how much chicken you have, you may have to fry in a few shifts. Keep the finished chicken in a slightly warm oven while preparing the rest.

COLD FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Stir together the black pepper, paprika, salt and garlic powder in a bowl. Rub chicken with half the seasonings, then stir the remaining seasonings into the flour in a bowl. Let seasoned chicken rest in fridge 8 hours or up to overnight.
• Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Dredge seasoned chicken in the seasoned flour. Fry until cooked through, 10 to 20 minutes. Place chicken in fridge until chilled, 1 to 2 hours.
• Split open hoagie rolls without cutting all the way through. Slice chilled chicken and glaze with onion dressing. Assemble sandwiches with mayo first, then veggies, then chicken. Enjoy!