Fried Chicken

Few foodstuffs photograph better than fried chicken, in my experience. It *always* looks tasty.

During one of my recent shopping excursions to the yuppie mecca that is Whole Foods, I determined that although I was loading up for a pending barbecue, some more immediate food was in order, as I had managed to make it until early afternoon without eating. Thankfully, the place always has a huge variety of sandwiches, stir fries, burritos, and most anything else one could desire for immediate snacking contentment. As I was waiting for my sandwich to be made, I spied a fried chicken thigh that could not be ignored. Consequently, I demanded they fork it over forthwith and happily made my way back home for some snacking goodness.

Imagine my surprise when, upon biting into my deep-fried and crusty goodness, I was greeted with an unpleasantly chewy texture that was oddly reminiscent of--nay, completely identical to!--that most feared of poultry-related foodstuffs: raw chicken! Sure enough, closer inspection revealed that either the person running the fryer that day was a bit overzealous or they simply didn't understand the complexities of frying large chunks of potentially hazardous meat. (Of course, this is a complicated process that most people don't think completely through, but I assume when I pay for a fried piece of bird flesh that the person handing it over would at least err on the side of *over*cooking it.)

Unfortunately, while my ironclad stomach probably would've churned through the leg with only minor complaints, my mouth could not abide the texture of raw chicken sliding across my teeth and I had to throw the thing out. (I initially made some attempt to salvage it by quick-cooking it in the microwave before realizing I was full and no longer cared to try.) As one might imagine, this left me with a completely understandable craving for some fried chicken that I could ensure was at least mostly-cooked before it met with my mouth. This craving, much like one for bacon, would not be denied, and I set about preparing myself for my first attempt at frying in anything deeper than a thin film of oil. You might guess that this led to a learning experience; the chicken (as seen above) turned out quite pretty and very tasty, but could (and will) definitely be improved with my next attempt. Nonetheless! You've come here for a recipe, and one shall be provided!

Note: This obviously isn't so much a recipe as it is a procedure, which was mostly stolen from Good Eats (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/fried-chicken-recipe/index.html). That said, I'll list out all the components I used anyway.

Fried Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, sliced up into its operative bits (I reserved the wings for a future buffalo wings attempt)
2c buttermilk
2c flour (for dredging)
Chicken seasoning of your choice
14-16oz of shortening, depending on pan size

Procedure:
1) After eviscerating and dividing the chicken into its more fryer-friendly components (read: 2 thighs, 2 breasts, 2 drumsticks), place it in a sealable or liddable container with the buttermilk for 24 hours (refrigerated, of course).

2) Place the shortening in a cast-iron or other style skillet that's suited to frying and bring it to 325F.

Note: It is extremely important to keep the oil above 300F in order to ensure that the food doesn't get oil-logged. However, it is equally important that the oil does not exceed 325-330F, lest it start smoking. I'd strongly recommend that after the oil reaches 325F, you let it stand at that temperature for a while to ensure that it has reached equilibrium before placing the chicken in.

3) While the oil is heating, allow the chicken pieces to drain in a colander or on a wire rack.

4) Liberally season the dredged chicken pieces with the selected seasoning (I don't know what mine is, as I stole it from a coworker).

Yes, that's a disposal in the picture. So I rested it on a rack in the sink. So what?

5) Dredge the chicken in flour, making sure to shake off any excess that can be removed. You want a thin coat, as any flour that can easily fall off probably will during the frying process. Allow the pieces to rest for a few minutes and verify that the oil is at the desired temperature.


6) Increase the heat slightly on the burner (about 1 number higher, on my burners) and place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down (if cooking with the skins). Try to place the thighs in the center of the pan, as they take the longest to cook.

Note: Increasing the heat at this point is designed to compensate for the colder meat being added.

As you can see, I have my probe thermometer in the oil to ensure that the temperature stays where I want it to (also worth noting: it didn't)

7) After 2 minutes, lower the heat back to the original level and allow the chicken to fry for about 12 minutes before flipping each piece and frying for an additional 12 minutes.

8) Remove the chicken from the oil and allow it to drain on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Although fried chicken is best served cold (in my opinion!), it can be served immediately without many complaints, in my experience.

Lessons learned:
Keeping the oil at the listed temperature is extremely important to ensuring that the crust is .. well, crusty. My chicken came out *slightly* undercooked, although certainly not to the extent of the purchased chicken leg. That said, the pieces were also oily, as I didn't maintain the temperature carefully enough. A friend mentioned that her dredging process was much more complicated, involving several different dredging steps which might add additional flavor. I think next time, I'll marinate the meat in a more flavorful liquid, then season, flour, egg white, and additional seasoning to see if that comes out more favorably. Then again, this tasted pretty good already, so I may decide not to mess with semi-success!