Fried Chicken

[TinSoldier]

So, I took another stab at making fried chicken tonight. It came out okay but the skin was still a little dark.

I basically followed the recipe in my Fanny Farmer cookbook. I soaked the chicken in milk for an hour and heated up a 1/2 inch of oil in my fry pan. The coating was a basic flour/salt/pepper mix. The cookbook said to heat the oil to 350 degrees or until a cube of bread browns in 60 seconds. Not having an oil thermometer, I chose the second option.

I cooked the chicken for about twenty minutes, turning it about every five. I had to do two batches, the second batch was a little darker than the first. It wasn't burnt, just dark. Oh, and I used the pan lid too. The good news is that I didn't set off the smoke detector.

I think I should invest in an oil thermometer.

Anyway, any tips for doing it better next time? Any good recipes to share?

Edit: Oh, and I work with this guy who not only has gone to culinary school but he's from North Carolina so I'll be seeking his advice as well. I'll be sure to share it once I get it.

[Hitcher]

I dip my chicken in just a little water, shake them off, then coat them with seasoned flour (flour, salt, pepper) and fry them in hot oil, searing the surface to keep the moisture in. Once they're browned on all sides, put them in a foil-lined pan in the oven @350°F for at least 30 minutes more to make sure they're cooked properly.

[Paulypalooza]

next time replace the milk in your recipe with buttermilk. It gives the chicken a nice tangy flavor.

[TinSoldier]

next time replace the milk in your recipe with buttermilk. It gives the chicken a nice tangy flavor.Yeah, I thought about that. Thanks, though.

[TinSoldier]

Hitcher: Thanks for the tip. I hadn't thought of frying it first and then baking it. 99% of the time we just dip it in egg and bread crumbs and just bake it.

Pauly: I didn't mean to sound so dismissive. It was after the fact that I remembered hearing about using buttermilk for fried chicken. I don't think I've ever tried it that way even though I guess it's traditional. I will try it on my next attempt, though. Thanks for the tip.

My main goal, though, is how to get a nice golden skin (not brown) and still have the chicken cooked all the way through.

[silverwhisper]

TS: do yourself a favor and head out & buy a thermometer you can use while frying. a good thermometer is extremely helpful.

my wife picked up an interesting tip from watching iron chef: use panko crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs: creates a much more interesting coating. and pauly's absolutely right re: buttermilk--quite tasty!

[happykat]

Another tip!

Coat the chicken lightly in flour. Then dip in an egg and milk mixture (buttermilk if you prefer), then coat in a bread crumb mixture with a bit of corn starch added in. I have also been known to use crushed corn flakes for the breading. Sometimes I add lemon juice or zest somewhere in the mix for extra tange.

My Grammie would steam her chicken for a little while if she had a large batch. Not enough to cook it all the way through, but enough to ensure that it would be fully cooked after frying it.

[Paulypalooza]

Pauly: I didn't mean to sound so dismissive. It was after the fact that I remembered hearing about using buttermilk for fried chicken. I don't think I've ever tried it that way even though I guess it's traditional. I will try it on my next attempt, though. Thanks for the tip.



Please take my advise or dismiss it as you like. After all your the who bought the food and who has to eat it.

[TinSoldier]

Please take my advise or dismiss it as you like. After all your the who bought the food and who has to eat it.Of course, I plan on it. I think it was good advice.

I just thought that my original answer sounded dismissive after reading it and I wanted to point out that that was not the intended tone.

Chimaera: The pan I'm using is pretty big but to keep from crowding I still had to do two batches. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.