|
My Profile
She blinded him with whiteness - 2008-07-25
|
11:15 a.m. - 2008-04-25
"Houston, we have fried chicken." Damn I'm good. Last month the local grocery stores were carrying super nice cast iron cookware. Weird thing was all the chains were stocking the same stuff. Usually Shoprite will have a special limited-time offer on something like ceramic canisters and Hannaford's special offer would be table linens or hibachi grills, you know all the better to lure you to their markets over the other guys. But there it was, cast iron cookware of exceptional quality everywhere I looked. Taking this as a sign I finally got the frying pan of my dreams. A big weighty thing with an equally weighty lid. The box claimed the pan was pre-seasoned, but I added a bit of my own with a thin coat of shortening and slow roast in the oven. Perfect. Bigger around than a dinner plate and 3" deep the pan is so heavy I need to use both hands to lift it. It's not like I didn't already have a frying pan or two, actually I had six, but I didn't have a cast iron one. And everybody knows cast iron is THE best for frying chicken. Mick certainly didn't doubt my claim this Yankee gal could make foodgasmic southern fried chicken, but without the proper pan I'd been holding out on making it for him. Yesterday was the day. The in-laws were coming for dinner, a trip to Sam's had scored me a humongus package of drumsticks for $6.00, and the insanely premature leap into summer weather (84 degrees on Wed!) put me in full picnic food mode. During my purgatory in Texas I had the great good luck to work for a brief time with an elderly angel named Mavis. It was Mavis who taught me the secrets of frying chicken. Secrets I will share with you because I know that wherever Mavis is now (cook's heaven, probably) she wouldn't mind. She, like me, was adamant about it being just as easy to make really good food as it was to make slop. All that's required is some attention to detail and the will of the cook to do it right. Secret #1- buttermilk. Soaking the chicken in buttermilk for at least 12 hours, 24 is better, tenderizes and keeps the meat juicy during the frying process. Secret #2- spices then flour. A most folks season the flour, but seasonings have a lower burn point than flour so the coating gets scorched or it soaks up too much grease from having to keep the temperature too low. Plus putting the spices directly on the chicken means the meat takes the flavor rather than just the outside. If you've ever noticed once you bite through the coating on KFC the meat inside is pretty bland. Secret #3- the right pan. This we've already discussed. A cast iron pan does the best job of evenly distributing the heat so there's no hot spots that burn some pieces and leave others raw. Secret #4- Crisco. I'm still back and forth about this one. I've never had a problem using vegetable oil, but Mavis swore by Crisco shortening. I'm not a one who'd challenge a true master so I'm passing the chicken gospel according to Mavis onto you. I find Crisco a bit too finicky about holding a consistent temperature. It stays too low for too long and then suddenly shoots way up, but Mavis said Crisco so Crisco it is. In case you're wondering what I season my chicken with I use a shake I mix myself: 1 tsp chili powder After draining the buttermilk off the chicken you just shake the spices all over, dredge in flour and then pop the meat into the hot oil. 10 minutes to a side and then drain on a rack. Don't put the chicken directly on paper towels, it'll adhere to the towels and the coating on that side will be soggy. And that's it. Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, spicy throughout delicious fried chicken. Brought to you by that comfort food gourmand LA and a kitchen angel named Mavis.
|
