The Funky Chicken

Well, I do not claim to be southern nor the original maker of this recipe, but I was asked to put this up on this blog since it is hands down the best fried chicken I have ever made. Crispy on the outside and oh-so-delicious on the inside, this chicken is requested at least once a month by my girlfriend. When she reads this she will probably ask for it again.

Before I spit out a recipe, I need to bring a few things to light that will make this process go easier. Lets take it step by step, shall we?

Chicken- You will need a whole chicken (preferably a frier or broiler) cut into eight pieces. Though you can buy a pre-cut chicken, they tend to taste slightly funky. I recommend cutting it yourself. Well, I did until I found out my butcher does it for free. So go that route unless you love knife work.

Pan- Cast Iron. Yep, I am going right back to that pan. Greatest fifteen bucks I have spent since I paid that much to take a semester long wine tasting class. The cast iron holds in heat, brings flavor to the party, and takes chicken placement very well. If you insist on not listening to the thousands of screaming people who love their cast iron, you can use an electric skillet or a deep pan that is at least 10 inches wide.

Fat- Crisco, or vegetable shortening, is the real winner here. The chicken is not deep fried, it is pan fried, and this fat with neutral flavor and a high smoke point is perfect. Most people do their pan frying in vegetable shortening simply because of ease of use (not to mention disposal)

Thermometer- See previous post.

Ok, now that we have the basics out of the way, lets move on to the recipe. The original is credit to Alton Brown (from the Good Eats episode Fry Hard II: The Chicken)

Fried Chicken

1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cups low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt (4 teaspoons table salt)
2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less depending on your like of spicy foods)
Flour, for dredging
Vegetable shortening, for frying

Place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Melt enough shortening (over low heat) to come just 1/8-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan. Once shortening liquefies raise heat to 325-350 degrees F. Do not allow oil to go over 350 degrees F. (Actually, you can let it go to 400 before it begins to break down, but stay below just to be safe)

Drain chicken in a colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

Place chicken skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side. When the chicken enters the shortening the temperature will drop. Increase the heat slightly, but not enough to scorch the chicken. More importantly, the internal temperature should be right around 165-175 degrees when the chicken is done. (Be careful to monitor shortening temperature every few minutes, I use my probe thermometer since I am using a shallow dish.)

Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan. Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags. If you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven.

If you noticed there was no room for the wings. Well, a lot of chefs do not use the wings in fried chicken. Blasphemy if you ask me. So if you have a big pan that will fit them, use it. If not, fry the wings right after the other pieces, it will only take a few minutes.

Serve and watch it be devoured.

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Cast Iron or How I Learned to Love the Fond

I will be honest; I grew up with all non-stick cookware. I thought only the big restaurants and fancy chefs had anything else. I made my eggs, sauces, and cooked all of my meat in similar vessels, not knowing what I was missing. A while back I was watching a particularly good episode of Good Eats in which fried chicken was prepared. To my dismay, it was done in a cast iron skillet. Wait, I thought, aren't those only used outside on a ranch or as decoration? Obviously I had been pretty sheltered.

A few weeks later I decided to try out this cast iron, went down to my local store, and purchased a $15 model (Lodge has an impeccable reputation) that was about 14 inches in diameter. I went home, prepared my fried chicken, and somewhat disappointed with the result. The chicken stuck to the pan, there was a slight funky taste to my coating, and I was very unfamiliar with cooking time in something that holds heat so well. Nevertheless, I was determined to make something of this skillet and turned to the internet for answers.

Turns out I experienced the same result most first-timers experience with a cast iron skillet. It was not seasoned, which leads to food sticking and a less developed flavor. Seasoning a cast iron skillet refers to repeated use of the vessel, causing small deposits of oil and food particles sticking to the iron surface. Over time this can lead to a deeper flavor and a relatively non-stick surface. Cast iron was once the material of choice to cook stews, bread, and any frying due to its wonderful heat retention and even distribution. Skillets and pots were passed down generations thanks to their wonderful seasoning. However, with the advent of non-stick cookware and the home cook asking for quick, easy solutions, cast iron took a back seat to more convenient methods and with it, taste.

One of the main reasons cast iron can make things taste better is because of the fond. Fond is the browned bits of meat that stick to the bottom of the pan after cooking. With cast iron, this fond is partially left on the bottom of the pan, and further cooking can pull up deeper flavors from the pan. This can dramatically increase your flavor base of gravies, stews, and many other foods you can cook in cast iron. After all of my research, I found out a few key things that should be noted when using cast iron.

- Do not ever wash the pan with soap. Hot water is the only cleaning substance that should ever be used. If food bits stick the bottom of the pan, do not use an abrasive sponge. Instead, pour some salt (kosher preferably) over the spot and scrub at it with a paper towel. This will allow the salt to gently remove the food without scratching.

- Dry the pan as soon as possible. If not, rust will quickly set in and you will have to scrub it out before your next use. The best way to dry is to put the pan on the stove over low heat for about 5 minutes.

-Seasoning can take some time, do not get frustrated. If it seems your skillet is losing some of its seasoning, add 1/4 inch of oil to the bottom of the pan (preferably canola or vegetable) and put it in a 300 oven for an hour. Wipe out the excess oil. This will seal up the pores and reestablish the seasoned layer.

-You can cook almost anything in cast iron. Do not be afraid to try eggs (they will not stick after a while and will taste great), braised meats, and especially fried chicken. I now use my cast iron skillet to make sausage gravy thanks to the skillet imparting a wonderful browning of the meat.

Sausage Gravy

1 pound of original roll sausage
Flour
2 C Milk
salt, pepper, cayenne

Heat skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, brown and chop until a nice dark brown. Sprinkle flour over the sausage (about 5T) and stir until the flour absorbs most of the fat from the sausage. Cook this for about 2 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate. Add the milk, stirring often until the gravy has thickened. If it is too thick, add a bit more milk to thin it out. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Serve over biscuits, toast, or pretty much anything that deserves gravy.

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