Warm weather for many of us means thoughts of summer, great weather, and memories of homemade fried chicken. If you love this dish, but have not had much luck recreating Grandma's secret recipe, you could benefit from these cooking tips.
You can decide to make your fried chicken the Sunday dinner main course, along with gravy and biscuits, or take cold fried chicken on a picnic with coleslaw. This tasty meal has a lot of memories associated with it, and for many people, there is only one way to make truly fantastic fried chicken. However, all good chicken has a few things in common, including juicy moist meat, a crispy breading that is not too greasy, and taste great.
There are a few things that are important to the success of any batch of fried chicken. One is making sure the tips have been cut off the chicken wings at the last joint. Almost no one eats them, and they will be great for stock later. Removing them now means you will have more room in your skillet to make sure your chicken gets done perfectly.
It is extremely important for your chicken to have enough space in the skillet. Chicken pieces can be allowed to touch, but crowding and too many pieces are a bad idea. That means using a skillet twelve inches across or more to make sure everything cooks properly. Pick one that is made of a heavy material, such as thick steel or cast iron, and that will hold heat successfully.
Many people use cooking oil, but melted shortening is some people's go-to fat for frying chicken. No matter what fat you use, make sure it has a high smoke point and does not come to a temperature that is too high or low. Too high and the oil smokes and the outside cooks before the inside. Too low and the chicken will be greasy and take a long time to fry.
Ideally, you should use one half inch to three quarters of an inch of oil in the pan - you won't be deep frying your chicken, after all This is also great for other chicken fried dishes like steak, in addition to a country fried chicken recipe. If you use too little oil, the sides will not cook right. Of course, too much will make you feel like your chicken is swimming.
Flouring chicken can be done using a strong paper bag with spices and flour in it. Just drop a few pieces of chicken in at a time and shake to coat them completely. This is a non messy method that works great.
Using a shallow dish to coat your chicken requires putting the flour and spices into a dish such as a pie pan or casserole, then rolling them in the mixture. This still coats well, and it allows you to see more easily, what you are doing. However, it does result in a bit more mess. Most people will use one method or the other according to personal preference and what their Grandma used.
Remember that the amount of chicken you work with should correspond to the recipe - three pounds at a time is common. You will want to trim excess skin and fat before cooking. People who use boneless chicken, boneless skinless chicken, or who trim all the skin will need to cook their chicken for less time than those using bone-in chicken or frying an entire bird. No matter what you do, take care and pay attention and you will get great fried chicken to match those old summer memories.
You can decide to make your fried chicken the Sunday dinner main course, along with gravy and biscuits, or take cold fried chicken on a picnic with coleslaw. This tasty meal has a lot of memories associated with it, and for many people, there is only one way to make truly fantastic fried chicken. However, all good chicken has a few things in common, including juicy moist meat, a crispy breading that is not too greasy, and taste great.
There are a few things that are important to the success of any batch of fried chicken. One is making sure the tips have been cut off the chicken wings at the last joint. Almost no one eats them, and they will be great for stock later. Removing them now means you will have more room in your skillet to make sure your chicken gets done perfectly.
It is extremely important for your chicken to have enough space in the skillet. Chicken pieces can be allowed to touch, but crowding and too many pieces are a bad idea. That means using a skillet twelve inches across or more to make sure everything cooks properly. Pick one that is made of a heavy material, such as thick steel or cast iron, and that will hold heat successfully.
Many people use cooking oil, but melted shortening is some people's go-to fat for frying chicken. No matter what fat you use, make sure it has a high smoke point and does not come to a temperature that is too high or low. Too high and the oil smokes and the outside cooks before the inside. Too low and the chicken will be greasy and take a long time to fry.
Ideally, you should use one half inch to three quarters of an inch of oil in the pan - you won't be deep frying your chicken, after all This is also great for other chicken fried dishes like steak, in addition to a country fried chicken recipe. If you use too little oil, the sides will not cook right. Of course, too much will make you feel like your chicken is swimming.
Flouring chicken can be done using a strong paper bag with spices and flour in it. Just drop a few pieces of chicken in at a time and shake to coat them completely. This is a non messy method that works great.
Using a shallow dish to coat your chicken requires putting the flour and spices into a dish such as a pie pan or casserole, then rolling them in the mixture. This still coats well, and it allows you to see more easily, what you are doing. However, it does result in a bit more mess. Most people will use one method or the other according to personal preference and what their Grandma used.
Remember that the amount of chicken you work with should correspond to the recipe - three pounds at a time is common. You will want to trim excess skin and fat before cooking. People who use boneless chicken, boneless skinless chicken, or who trim all the skin will need to cook their chicken for less time than those using bone-in chicken or frying an entire bird. No matter what you do, take care and pay attention and you will get great fried chicken to match those old summer memories.
About the Author:
Fried chicken can actually be a lot healthier once you know you can make oven fried chicken instead of the old cook it in fat method. If you really need the fat we have that covered too.
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