Poultry Essentials Twice Fried Crispy Chicken Recipes

TWICE-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cure chicken: In a large bowl, add salt and mustard and onion powders, and combine until well blended. Add the chicken pieces and get in there with your hands to coat each piece well. Put the coated pieces of chicken 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, plus 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 chicken pieces-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 300 degrees F. (It's fine if the oil temperature goes up to 350 degrees F, because it will drop once the chicken goes in.) Coat chicken: When the oil is hot, add all the chicken into the batter and fully coat each piece.
• First fry: Starting with the dark meat, use tongs to pick up each piece and allow the excess batter to drip off. Gently swirl the tip of the chicken in the oil to set the crust; this will prevent the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Then ease the rest of the piece into the oil. Repeat with all the chicken pieces. Fry for 10 minutes.Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to make sure the chicken pieces 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 chicken pieces 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 350 degrees F. (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, fry the chicken pieces again, this time 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.)

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.

DOUBLE-FRIED CHICKEN WINGS

Steps:

• Season chicken wings with equal parts salt and pepper-just enough to lightly coat the wings, then rub gently into wings.
• Mix flour and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Dredge each wing in the mix until there's NO visible moisture on each wing. Shake off excess, then set aside on a plate or rack.
• Pour 2 inches of oil in a pot, or enough to submerge the wings. (If you're frying up whole wings-where the drumette, the wingette, and the tip haven't been cut apart-pour in 3 inches.)
• Over high heat, heat the oil to 350°F. Par(tially)-fry the wings for 10 minutes, then remove from pot, and shake off any excess oil. The par-fry cooks the chicken completely through, sealing in the flavor, while starting to form the outside crispy layer.
• Set wings on a paper towel-lined plate or rack for 5 minutes, or until they cool to room temperature. This prevents the meat from overcooking, while keeping in its moisture.
• OPTIONAL: You can store the par-fried wings in the fridge and do the second wing fry the next day. Just be sure the wings are at room temperature when you fry them.
• Once the wings cool down, reheat the oil to 350°F and fry them a second time for 10 more minutes. The second fry crisps the wings to the point of delicious crunchiness. Remove wings, then shake off excess oil. Brush on or toss wings in a bowl with your favorite sauce. Or, if you just want the purest form of savory, crunchy wings around, eat 'em as is, which I often do as a "taste test."

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: TWICE-FRIED CRISPY CHICKEN

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• If you do a lot of frying, then a good thermometer is a good thing to have. If, however, you do not own one, no worries. Here are three ways that you can accurately check the temperature of hot oil. WOOD When the oil has preheated, dip the handle of a wooden spoon or a toothpick into the oil. If the oil starts steadily bubbling, then the oil is hot enough for frying. If the oil bubbles vigorously, then the oil is too hot and needs to cool off a touch. If no or very few bubbles pop up, then it's not hot enough. BREAD Drop a 1-inch square of bread into the oil. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, then the oil is at 365f (185c). POPCORN Drop a single kernel of popcorn into the oil as it is heating. The kernel will pop as the oil reaches between 350f - 360f (177c - 182c).
• DO NOT OVERCROWD FRIED FOOD No matter what temperature you begin with, overcrowding will result in an intense temperature drop, and oily food. Unless you own an industrial strength fryer, fry in small batches for optimum results.
• BE CAREFUL Hot oil causes a lot of tragic accidents in the kitchen. Make sure that the burner you are using for the pan is study, keep small children away, and keep pot handles swung into the stove, and not hanging over side, where they can be knocked into by passing guests, or pulled down by a small child. Finally, have a plan in place for dealing with an accidental oil fire. Baking soda will put out a small fire. If the fire is in the pan, put the lid on the pan to deprive it of oxygen; but not a glass lid, because it might shatter. A small dry chemical extinguisher works on larger fires, but that would be a last resort, because it will contaminate your kitchen. It goes without saying that putting water on a grease fire will not work...
• Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
• Mix all the marinade ingredients together.
• Debone, and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• Chef's Note: I am using a combination of thighs and breasts. For the thighs, I decided to leave the skin on, but removed it from the breasts.
• Add the chicken to the marinade (I am using a Ziploc bag), and place in the fridge for 24 hours.
• Chef's Note: Every once and awhile, when you have your head stuck in the fridge, looking for something to snack on, grab the bag, and give it a squeeze.
• Fill a saucepan or pot with about 3 inches (8cm) of oil, and bring up to 325f (165c).
• Add the potato starch, salt and pepper to a large bowl.
• Add a layer or two of paper towels to a baking sheet.
• Roll each piece in the starch mixture, and then place on the baking sheet.
• Add the chicken (3 - 4 pieces at a time) to the hot oil.
• Chef's Note: When you add the chicken to the hot oil, the temp will go down, so you will need to adjust the flame to keep the oil at temperature. Do not let it drop below 300f (150c).
• When the chicken begins to brown, remove and place on the paper towels (about 3 - 4 minutes), and then repeat for the remainder of the chicken.
• When all the chicken is cooked, turn the heat on the oil up to 350f (175c).
• Return the chicken to the hot oil (3 - 4 pieces at a time), until it turns a deep golden brown, about 60 - 90 seconds.
• Chef's Note: This second frying will make the crust extra crispy.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• This chicken can be served hot, or at room temperature. I like to serve it with a side of rice, a drizzle of fresh clover honey, and a few lemon wedges. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.