Fried Chicken

Nancy and I were exchanging e-mails a while back and I confessed that I do sometimes buy prepared fried chicken at a supermarket deli, KFC or Popeye's. She said she had fond memories of the fried chicken I used to do in huge quantity, so I wrote the directions in a narrative form because it was hard to communicate the step-by-step process in a recipe format. Ido it a little different now than I used to because I have learned some new tricks—so sit back and prepare to read a long explanation.

First, buy Claxton or "natural" chicken if you can (Publix has some pretty good natural chicken for a normal price.) Don’t spring for the organic stuff—it is very expensive and not worth the extra money. Check to see if the chicken has been injected with a saline solution. If so, don’t buy it because the water will leech out during frying, spatter and make the crust soft. (BTW—the saline injection is a good thing for turkey because it eliminates the need to brine the big bird. After brining a turkey about 10 years ago, I switched to Butterball and never looked back.)

Leave the skin on it, rinse under cold water and soak a few hours in buttermilk. Lift the chicken pieces out of the buttermilk and lay on wax paper or foil so you can season all sides really good. Sprinkle with Nature's Seasons, paprika (or cayenne), a little sea salt (regular or the 4S seasoned salt from Penzey's) and black pepper. Let it set for a few minutes, then put about 2 cups self-rising flour in a plastic bag, add a little Nature's Seasons and shake to mix. Then add the chicken pieces a few at the time and shake until totally coated—the residual buttermilk will help the flour adhere. Lay the floured pieces out on wax paper for at least 15 minutes until the coating begins to have moist patches - sort of like library paste. Shake again in flour, or just pat some more flour on if you don't have many pieces, and let it set again for about 10 minutes while the frying fat heats. (Tell Terry not to worry, it won't rot in that short time unrefrigerated.)

You can use lard, solid shortening (like Crisco) or Canola or Safflower Oil in any combination. Lard adds good flavor, but is not good for you and is more likely to feel greasy. Crisco can withstand high heat best and gives a good crisp crust—either oil does a good job and is healthier than solid shortening. I don't use lard much anymore because I just don't keep it on hand, but no matter what else I use, I add about 3 tablespoons of bacon drippings or butter for flavor.

Use a frying pan with a cover —cast iron is best, but a good heavy non-stick pan will work well too. Use enough fat to make a depth of about 1 inch (it should cover just over 1/2 the chicken thickness). Set the burner on high and heat until fat is shimmering (you can test with a bread cube or sprinkle of flour—it will foam up when the oil is hot enough), then reduce to medium high. Add the chicken (bone-in pieces first) skin side down with no pieces touching—cook uncovered about 5 minutes or until bottom develops a tan color and the batter has sealed. Turn over and cook 2 minutes, then cover and cook about 5 minutes. Remove cover, turn over, fry uncovered 2 minutes then cover again and cook 5 minutes. Remove cover and cook a few minutes more, turning once, until both sides are brown and crisp. Somewhere in this process you will add small or boneless pieces so they cook about half as long a bone-in. (This won't be an issue unless you are cooking boneless breasts and legs & thighs - or you have livers and gizzards involved.) My usual mix is 3 legs and 2 boneless breasts, but sometimes I do the whole chicken so we can have a pulley bone and the livers and gizzards. Place cooked pieces on a cake rack set on a cookie sheet to drain. (You can use a paper towel-covered pan, but the underside of the chicken may get a little soggy). Keep warm in a preheated oven at 175 degrees.

This sounds awfully complicated, but it really is quite easy, and the method ensures that the outside will be crispy and sealed tight to keep the juices from leaking out and the fat from getting in. You can remove the thickest piece and check for doneness by piercing next to the bone with a small pointed knife until you get a feel for how long the different kinds of pieces need to cook.

If buttermilk grosses you out, or just for a change, you can brine the chicken for several hours in a mild salt solution (or just sprinkle liberally with salt and put in a plastic bag), then rinse well before doing the seasoning and flouring process. I have also tried adding a beaten egg to milk as a wet dip before the flour, and it is pretty good, but the egg makes a slightly soft crust. If you don't want to leave the skin on, you can remove it (the chicken will lose some moistness and flavor) and let the floured chicken set a little longer to get a good seal in the coating.

Here's the good part - if you can manage to get this all done without any burned drippings, you can drain off the excess fat and make the most wonderful gravy with a little extra flour and some chicken broth. Once in a great while I do this and have it with white rice or mashed potatoes. Speaking of chicken broth - Cook's Illustrated did a test on supermarket canned chicken broth and found that "College Inn" is the most like homemade. I tried it and they are right, it is much better than Campbell's, but the only place I can find that brand is Publix, where they have it in the can and carton, both organic and not.

Update on Chicken Broth - Cook's Illustrated revised their 'best' rating a couple of years ago and now recommends Swanson Natural Organic broth in the asceptic container. Just recently I have discovered two other choices which are even better. Medford Farms Chicken Broth has a deep, rich taste that's perfect to use as a stock for Chicken and Dumplings, gravy, or any braised dish. Kitchen Basics is similar and has a slightly cloudy appearance like rich homemade broth does. Both these latest discoveries may be too rustic for a delicate preparation like risotto, but well worth trying for a sauce or soup. Important - do not waste your money or time on Pacific Chicken Broth - it has a thin, sour taste that will ruin your dish. Strange, because the Pacific Beef Broth is outstanding - closest option I've found in the supermarket for French Onion Soup, Beef Stew, gravies, and general beef stock requirements.