I give up. I can't make fried chicken.

[vash]

It's a curse. I get someone's " family" recipe. Touted as the best ever. If it involves buttermilk: game over.

I fell for it again. Soaked some drum in buttermilk overnight. It's hot as Hades here right now, so I took the time to set up my B.A.C.S. ( bigasscampstove) in my backyard. I tried a lower oil temp. 325. Used my vintage Griswold 10". I still manage to lose crust, or burn the crap out of it before the inside reach a safe-cooked temp.

I'm gonna move fried chicken over to the list of things better left to the restaurants. Like Pho.

I should have snapped a pic. It was comical.

On the bright side, my pan is now tuned up as far as seasoning goes.

[drkshdw]

Lost breading is due to excess moisture in the chicken before breading. Pat that sucker dry with paper towels and let it air dry for another 20 minutes before starting the breading process. Then let it sit another 20 minutes before cooking so the breading has time to glue itself to the meat.

As for it burning before the inside is cooked is because the pan is too close to the heat source. Cast iron is great for frying but you gotta watch it over a fire. If you have a cast iron griddle, use that under the pan over the fire for a more even heat that won't burn your chicken before it cooks inside.

But this is all the hard and time consuming way to fry chicken. The simplest and best is still under pressure a la KFC.

[Tobra]

Fortunately, I don't need to know how. The wife makes crazy good fried chicken, fried green tomatoes too.

mmm, fried green tomatoes, I know what I am eating tomorrow.

[craigster59]

The Food Lab's Southern Fried Chicken Recipe | Serious Eats

[rusnak]

Let the chicken soak in buttermilk or whole milk in the coldest part of the fridge, which would be the very bottom drawer. Then flour with Pappy's Seasoning (enough so you can smell it), egg, then a second time in the flour. Immediately into the hot oil 375. When the chicken FLOATS, it is done. The shock going from the cold cold cold to hot will make the crust stick to the chicken. Do not let the chicken get warm. Put the breaded chicken back into the fridge between fry batches so that the shock can make the breading stick. Use peanut oil, preheated before frying. Best fried chicke you ever had.

[rusnak]

Here's some chicken that I made at our Christmas tree lot. It was perfect.

And then some chicken enchiladas that I made the same day on the Weber grill.

[vash]

Originally Posted by rusnak

....... Best fried chicke you ever had.

there's that line! it's like "these are not the droids you're looking for..." when it comes to me and a pan of hot oil.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by drkshdw

But this is all the hard and time consuming way to fry chicken. The simplest and best is still under pressure a la KFC.

Under pressure? Really? Weird.

I worked at a Popeye's Fried Chicken in HS. We just had a huge row of deep friers. I'm pretty sure the fries were cooked at 375°, and the chicken might have been cooked at 325°. We got raw thawed chicken, "tossed" it with a pack of spices (I think mostly salt for the non-spicy and then other stuff for the spicy). Then that would sit in the walk in fridge until needed. We then had a tub full of thick liquid batter and then another tub full of flour or a flour mix of some sort. You would put the chicken in the batter, then coat with the dry flour and then it went right into the fryers from there.

[MBAtarga]

Mother In Law has an infamous fried chicken recipe. Uses buttermilk - but only dipped before cooking - no overnight marinating and dredged in flour/pepper/salt mixture. Then Crisco oil and black frying pan are the other secret components....

[asphaltgambler]

Vash - believe it or not I felt the same way. The secret is to brine the chicken for at least 12 hrs. Then whatever seasoning you use to coat it, let it sit for 24 hrs minimum. It's these 2 steps that are required - or - the secret.

Most agree as do I to fry the chicken in a cast iron pan in oil and finish in the oven. The hard part is planning ahead enough days to complete the first 2 steps. It's not hard, just takes preparation.

[Tobra]

It is sort of like painting a car. It is all in the prep

[craigster59]

I've heard (maybe Alton Brown) that Crisco is best due to it's low smoke point, lower heat helps the coating stick and no, the chicken does not get greasier than using peanut oil. Also air drying on a rack before and after cooking is another trick.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by vash

I'm gonna move fried chicken over to the list of things better left to the restaurants. Like Pho.

There is some wisdom here. Just making the broth for pho is too much work and too much expense, if you do it right. Fried chicken is like hash browns, you have to have a certain process nailed and stick to it closely. Improvising, like cooking it on a camp stove, is just going to promote disaster.

You live withing driving distance of some of the best restaurants in the US. Get in the car and go eat some of Thomas Keller's fried chicken.

JR

[aigel]

Grilled chicken is better for you anyway.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by aigel

Grilled chicken is better for you anyway.

I've always wanted to have a food truck featuring grilled fried chicken. I would do matching marinades and batters like a jalepeno marinade and then fried in a jalepeno-cheddar batter.

[RKDinOKC]

Gosh, Mom and Grandma never soaked chicken over night. They always just cut it up, dredged it in liquid and flour, then off to the skillet. And it was pan fried, not much oil. It was always great.

Fried in a pressure cooker is usually called Broasted. At least around here.

[p911dad]

I used to watch my aunt in her house in Georgetown, SC make it. She used an electric frying pan to control the heat and Crisco. The main thing I remember is she paid close attention to it, not leaving it to burn or get too brown. Best chicken memory. Today, 50 years later I have given up on it, likewise growing tomatoes and just go to Pecan St in Charlotte to the Diamond Restaurant. Anytime we want great fried chicken for $7.95.