Poultry Essentials Twice Fried Crispy Chicken Recipes

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large shallow dish, combine 2-2/3 cups flour, garlic salt, paprika, 2-1/2 teaspoons pepper and teaspoons poultry seasoning. In another shallow dish, beat eggs and 1-1/2 cups water; add 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1-1/3 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then place in flour mixture, a few pieces at a time. Turn to coat., In a deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Working in batches, fry chicken, several pieces at a time, until skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into chicken reads 165°, about 7-8 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.

TRIPLE DIPPED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In one medium bowl, mix together 3 cups of flour, garlic salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, paprika and poultry seasoning. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 1/3 cups flour, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, egg yolks and beer. You may need to thin with additional beer if the batter is too thick.
• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Moisten each piece of chicken with a little water, then dip in the dry mix. Shake off excess and dip in the wet mix, then dip in the dry mix once more.
• Carefully place the chicken pieces in the hot oil. Fry for 15 to 18 minutes, or until well browned. Smaller pieces will not take as long. Large pieces may take longer. Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.

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.

TWICE-FRIED CHICKEN WINGS

Steps:

• Cure chicken: In a bowl, add onion powder, salt, and mustard powder, and combine until well blended. Add the chicken wings to a large bowl, sprinkle with about half the curing mixture, and get in there with your hands to coat each piece well. (Note: This is enough cure for 8 whole wings or 1 whole chicken, so you won't need to use all of it. Save it in an airtight container for next time!) Place the coated wings in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, keeping the skin intact; lightly cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Bring the cured chicken to room temperature. (You don't want to fry ice-cold chicken, because it won't cook all the way through, and it will chill the frying oil.) Meanwhile, make the batter: In a large bowl, add the cornstarch, flour, and salt. Slowly pour in the cold water, whisking continuously, until the mixture is smooth and the consistency of thin pancake batter. Add more water as needed to thin the batter.
• Heat oil: Clip a candy or deep fry thermometer onto a large, heavy pot. Add enough canola oil to fully submerge the wings-about halfway up the side of the pot. (Oil expands as it heats, so don't overfill the pot.) Heat the oil over low heat until it reaches at least 300 degrees F. (It's fine if the oil temperature goes up as high as 350 degrees F, because it will drop once the chicken is added.) Coat chicken: Separate each wing into two pieces by slicing through the joint between the drumette and the wing. When the oil is hot, add all the chicken into the batter and fully coat each piece.
• First fry: Use tongs to pick up a wing and allow some of the excess batter to drip off. Gently swirl the tip of the wing in the hot oil to set the crust; this will prevent the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Then ease the rest of the wing into the oil. Repeat with all the wings. Fry for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to make sure the wings don't stick together or to the bottom of the pot. If they do stick, gently separate them with the spoon; try not to tear the delicate crust!
• After 10 minutes, use the slotted spoon to transfer the wings to drain on a wire rack or paper towels on a baking sheet. The chicken will not be fully cooked-there's a second fry. Let the chicken rest, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the oil to just above 350 degrees F (temperature will drop slightly when the chicken is added). Use the slotted spoon to remove and discard stray bits of batter from the oil. (Note: The chicken can be made to this point up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated; bring it back to room temperature before the second fry.)
• Second fry: When the oil is hot, use the slotted spoon to gently ease the wings back in. Fry for 4 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
• Use the slotted spoon to transfer the chicken pieces to a clean wire rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve. (Note: Frying oil can be reused several times for frying chicken. Cool the oil completely, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean jar. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.)

POULTRY ESSENTIALS: CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• If you are doing the optional brine, then add all the ingredients to the water, and whisk until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Add the chicken thighs, and place in the fridge for 3 - 4 hours. I like how the tamari flavors the chicken; however, if you are not too sure about it, just leave it out.
• The reason I do not include any salt in the spice mix, is because I am brining the thighs. If you choose not to brine, then add about a teaspoon of salt, or to taste.
• Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
• Combine all of the spice mixture ingredients into a small bowl, and reserve.
• Take the chicken (after the brine), and pat dry. Then place on a plate or small sheet pan, and sprinkle with the potato starch.
• Chef's Note: The purpose of the potato starch is to help dry out the skin. It will not impart any flavor of its own. You could use salt, or baking soda, but both of those methods make the chicken taste a bit too salty for my palate.
• I like to remove the bone from the thighs before baking. The only reason for this is the final presentation; plus, without the bone, it makes it easier for my guests to slice. If you leave the bone in, no worries.
• Stick them in the fridge, uncovered, for 2 - 3 hours.
• Remove from the fridge, place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, fitted with a wire rack (if you have one). They should be skin-side up.
• Lightly brush the skins with the olive oil.
• Sprinkle with the reserved spice mixture, then let sit on the counter for 20 minutes.
• Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 425f (220c).
• Add the chicken thighs to the oven, and bake for 15 minutes.
• Lower the heat to 400f (205c), and cook until the internal temperature of the thighs reaches 165f (75c), about an additional 15 minutes.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• One of my favorite ways to serve these is on a plate of homemade pasta, and a nice spicy tomato sauce. But, how you serve them, is totally up to you.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

EXTRA-CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Roughly chop 1 bunch rosemary, sage and thyme, 5 of the bay leaves and the 3 garlic cloves. Add to a bowl, and mix with the olive oil, 3 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons pepper. Rub the birds with the herb mixture so it sticks to the skin. Transfer the chickens to a roasting pan.
• Roast for 2 1/2 hours, or until the temperature between the breast and thigh near the bone registers 150 degrees F. At this stage the chickens are 75-percent cooked. Set aside to cool.
• When cool enough to handle, break down the birds into 10 pieces each, with the breasts boneless and halved. You will end up with a wing, leg, thigh and 2 pieces breast meat per half chicken.
• In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, hot sauce and sugar. Submerge the chicken pieces in the buttermilk and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Fill a large, heavy pot with grapeseed oil to a depth of 3 inches. Turn the heat on, and add the remaining bunches rosemary, sage and thyme, the remaining 5 bay leaves and the head of garlic, broken into cloves. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. The herbs and garlic will crisp up and perfume the oil as it comes to temperature. Once they are crispy, remove them to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside--they will serve as a garnish for the finished dish.
• In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, rice flour, garlic powder, onion powder, 1/3 cup salt and 1/4 cup black pepper; mix thoroughly. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk (do not dry) and coat well in the flour mixture.
• Without over-crowding the pot, fry the breaded chicken until all the pieces are golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a clean kitchen cloth and season with flaked salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Line a serving platter with a paper bag, brown parchment paper or a clean napkin. Pile the chicken onto the platter. Serve with the fried herbs and garlic and the lemon wedges.

TWICE-FRIED CHICKEN WITH SRIRACHA HONEY

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the seafood seasoning, coriander seeds, chipotle powder, paprika and a generous pinch of salt and mix well. Coat the chicken pieces with the spices, place in some large resealable plastic bags and refrigerate overnight.
• In a small bowl, combine the honey and Sriracha. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to fry the chicken.
• In a large Dutch oven, put in enough lard to come 4 inches up the side of the pot. Heat the lard to 325 degrees F.
• In a large, shallow baking dish, whisk together the flour and a generous pinch or two of salt. Remove the chicken pieces from the bags and dredge in the flour mixture.
• Beginning with the thighs, add the chicken to the pot, making sure not to crowd. (This may take several batches.) Place the lid on and cook until golden and cooked 80 percent through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a wire cooling rack and repeat with the remaining chicken, if necessary. (If you're entertaining, you can get ahead by doing all work up to this point, then continuing just before you plan to serve.)
• Once all the chicken is done, heat up the lard to 365 degrees F. Add the chicken in the same batches and cook until dark golden and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove onto paper towels and serve immediately with the Sriracha honey.
• Cook's Notes: Lard is available at better supermarkets at the meat counter, or at specialty butcher shops. If you can't find it, use vegetable or peanut oil.
• Wondra flour is available at most grocery stores, but you can also substitute with 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour combined with 2 tablespoons cornstarch.

CRISPY UN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the buttermilk, hot sauce and 1 teaspoon each of the garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Put the breadcrumbs, paprika, cayenne and the remaining teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder and salt in a large resealable plastic bag; shake to combine. Remove the chicken from the brine and add it to the bag. Seal the bag and shake vigorously to coat the chicken.
• Line a baking sheet with a rack and spray well with nonstick spray. Arrange the chicken on the rack, skin-side up, and spray the chicken very generously.
• Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes.

CRISPIEST FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sprinkle chicken with rice flour; season generously with kosher salt and pepper, tossing to coat. Pour oil into a large pot to a depth of 2 inches. Place over medium-high heat until a thermometer registers 350 degrees.
• Whisk together both flours, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in 3/4 cup water until a smooth, thin batter forms.
• Working in batches, dip pieces of chicken into batter, allowing excess to drip off. Transfer to oil and fry until pale golden, 6 minutes. Remove and shake lightly in a colander to drain; transfer to paper towels. Bring oil temperature back to 350 degrees, then return chicken to oil and fry a second time until golden brown and a thermometer inserted into thickest parts (avoiding bones) registers 160 degrees, about 6 minutes for small pieces, about 8 minutes for large. Transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet; season with flaky salt. Serve warm or room temperature.