In the past, I've mainly used the series of Is My Blog Burning? events to prepare Italian classics, taking the chance to share those recipes that I love but don't prepare all that often. So, when Linda announce the theme of this 18th edition would be frying I was pretty much set to follow the known path and knock up one of the many fried recipes of the Neapolitan tradition. And I would have, if I hadn't started being obsessed by Southern-style fried chicken.
It all started a couple of month's ago with the fried chicken cook-off on the eGullet Society's forums. For one reason or another I didn't join in, but the idea stuck in my mind. A few weeks ago, reading a short detective story I stumbled upon a character obsessed by the fried chicken his grandma used to make. At that point I had started getting pretty fixated on fried chicken myself. Although I did have a few fried chickens in while living in the States in the '80s I had never cooked one myself. So what better than having THE perfect excuse for knocking up a batch of fried chicken? Sing with me (and Madonna):
Like a virgin, frying for the very first time,
like a vi-i-i-rgin, put your chicken next to mine
Note: the recipe below is based on a number of very similar recipes I've found on the net and on books (yes, even Martha), and gives -for a beginner like me- a nice fried chicken with a crisp thick crust. Still, since I'm a real amateur chicken frier feel free to add your comments/corrections/suggestions. They'll be most welcome.
Southern-style fried chicken
1 medium chicken, about 1.5 kg cut into 10 pieces (2 ea. tighs, drumsticks and wings, 4 breast pieces; reserve the rest of the carcass for stock)
500 ml buttermilk
tabasco
Self-raising flour, about 400 g
pepper, salt, paprika, thyme
oil for frying (or half oil, half bacon fat)
Add about 2 Tbs salt and some tabasco to taste (I used about a Tsp) to the buttermilk and marinate the chicken in it for about 4 hours. Use a container where the chicken snugly fits in one layer so that the buttermilk will just cover the meat.
In a large bowl season the self rising flour with salt, pepper, paprika and thyme (respectively 2 Tsp, 1/2 Tsp, 1 Tsp and 1/2 Tsp).
Working one piece at a time, take the marinated chicken, let the excess buttermilk drip off and dredge in the flour mixture till completely covered. Repeat for all the chicken pieces and set aside.
Half fill a pan wide enough to hold all the chicken pieces in one layer with oil. Or even better heat two pans, one for the breasts and another for the remaining pieces. Heat the oil to 165° and shallow fry the chickens for about 25 minutes. The breast will probably need less so check before the time is up and eventually remove it beforehand. Drain on kitchen paper and serve.
No fair! Madonna is stuck in my head *and* I'm hungry!
Posted by: Nic | August 29, 2005 at 05:26 AM
I was actually thinking about weird al jankovic's like a surgeon when I made up that verse ;-).
Posted by: Alberto | August 29, 2005 at 12:20 PM
okay, the song is stuck in my head. thanks, alot...
as for the meat of the matter (sorry, couldn't resist), i've come across a lot of recipes. one trick that's always worked for me is to keep everything cold, as you would for a pastry crust. seasoned flour (her recipe had onion powder and a healthy dose of cayenne), chicken in buttermilk, everything. then let it hit the hot fat.
when i spent some time in Georgia, my friend used a big brown paper bag from the grocery store to stash away the seasoned flour and throw in the chicken. and then just "shake, shake, shake; shake, shake, shake; shake your..." er, um, chicken...i think the booty-shaking is optional.
the hot fat was always lard or all bacon fat.
and by god, it was good.
Posted by: wasabi | August 29, 2005 at 06:13 PM
my mom gave me a recipe for sweet and sour chicken (yes, chinese, but the crispiest I've ever had). you marinade the chicken (cut into 2 cm dice - if using larger pieces, adjust time accordingly) in beaten egg, soy sauce and garlic for about an hour, then roll in potato flour and fry in oil for 10 minutes or so. like proper tempura, the flour and egg mixture will puff up considerably, resulting in the most crunchy yet tender chicken pieces.
Posted by: johanna | August 29, 2005 at 11:58 PM
Oh, lucky, lucky you! I am so glad that you have allowed yourself to step into the traditions of my homeland :) I'm from the Atlanta area, and one of the things I missed most when I moved to Germany was good southern cooking! Fortunately, my hubby and I love to cook, and have now added every imaginable southern dish to our repertoire so we don't have to be deprived. I like cooking fried chicken on the bone, but it's just the two of us, and it takes too long to eat all that chicken, so we have started making popcorn chicken out of cubed chicken breast, which works well. Anyway, last time hubby prepared the fried chicken, I noticed a marked improvement in the quality of the crust. I asked him what was different, and he said that this time, he allowed the chicken to rest 10-15 minutes AFTER dredging in the flour. Somehow, it made the crust a little more substantial, which made it stick better and get crispier. As for the paper bag, it's not just good for dredging, but try using one for storage. It works great and keeps the moisture from ruining the crust. I prefer storing fried chicken in paper bag inside a plastic container (to keep the fridge smells out). The slightly waxed paper bag that bakeries sell bread in here in Germany works well.
Posted by: CariCranberry | August 30, 2005 at 01:25 PM
This sounds good. I am often surprised at allt he different foods people are good at and like to cook. I would have never expected fried chicken, then my Roman husband loves it too. He is a food snob but if he smells fried chicken the foie gras is out the window. Plus I told me I am no longer eating foie gras, too inhumane for me. Just my two cents. Ciao and buono giornata to you and your family, sua famiglia? or suo?
Posted by: gia | August 30, 2005 at 05:53 PM
Certain foods inspire a bit of obsession, no? A good pasty crust, fried chicken, the perfect burger, barbeque ... these are foods about which everyone seems to have an opinion and tradition. John Edge wrote a whole book on the subject, and I've long wanted to have my own little cook off, comparing fried chicken recipes (to poach or not to poach, medium heat throughout or low heat then high heat for crispness). Such questions!
Posted by: tara | August 30, 2005 at 06:21 PM
Thanks everyone for the tips, suggestions and stories about fried chicken. Now I have enough reasons to convince myself, my wife and my scales that we need to have fried chicken more often, if only to try out all those different recipes.
Gia: it's "sua" (because "famiglia" is female) or "tua", sua is the more formal option and you don't relly need to use that, at least not here ;-).
Posted by: Alberto | August 31, 2005 at 10:56 AM
Oh Alberto, this chicken looks perfect, I'm getting hungry (and I'm singing the song all day today...)
Posted by: keiko | September 01, 2005 at 07:05 AM
Hi Alberto.
Your chicken looks gorgeous and so delicious! Thanks for participating in this month's IMBB.
Posted by: Linda | September 03, 2005 at 02:43 PM
I make my fried chicken from Mary Mac's Tea Room cookbook from Atlanta. Since I am a native of Atlanta, I have had my fair share of fried everything. But now I live in California and I fry less often but use California Rice Oil because the smoke point is the highest and food tastes cleaner.
Posted by: fifi | December 09, 2005 at 12:50 AM