CI fried chicken recipe

[MarkC]

Has anyone tried the recent CI fried chicken recipe - the one with a short fry on each side and then a long time in the oven?

[tatwood]

Don't bother. Stupid recipe. Coating falls off in solid sheets - waste of time and money.

[PBSF]

I've been using a similar method after coming across a recipe for 'crispy oven baked chicken' in Julia Child's From Julia's Kitchen in the early 80's. It really works well without all the oil and anxiety of deep frying. The only thing that I don't do as in he CI recipe is the addition of a little buttermilk to the seasoned flour get a more crunchy crust. And I don't need all the 1 1/4 cup of oil that CI recipe call for.

[gmm]

I'd love to see the recipe if anyone has the time to paraphrase it. I've already used CI's trial membership, but decided not to pop for the full membership.

[Antilope]

***** Paraphrased recipe *****

Cook's Illustrated Easier Fried Chicken

Serves 4. Published September 1, 2010. From Cook's Illustrated.

You can also use a whole 4-pound chicken that has been cut into 8-pieces
instead of buying precut chicken parts. You can also use skinless chicken but
the fried chicken will be slightly dryer. An 11-inch wide Dutch oven can be
used instead of using a strait-sided saute pan.

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups buttermilk
4 teaspoons Table salt
Dash hot sauce
3 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks,
or a mix, with breasts cut in half), trimmed of excess fat (see note)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 cups vegetable oil

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together 1-cup of buttermilk, 3 teaspoons table salt,
hot sauce, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Add cut up chicken to the bowl and turn chicken pieces to coat them.
Place in fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.

2. Place oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 400-F.
In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder,
1 teaspoon table salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder,
3/4 teaspoon paprika and remaining cayenne pepper. Add 1/4 cup of
buttermilk to mixture and mix with your fingers until the buttermilk
combines with the flour to form small clumps. Using one piece of chicken
at a time, dredge in the flour mixture. Press the flour mixture onto
the chicken to form a thick and even coating. Place the prepared chicken
pieces on a plate with the skin side of pieces facing upward.

3. In an 11-inch straight-sided saute pan, heat oil over medium heat until
it reaches 375-F. Add chicken pieces, skin side down, to the pan of hot oil.
Cook 3 to 5 minutes, until they are golden brown. Turn pieces over and continue
to cook until they are golden brown on the other side, about 2 to 4 minutes more. Remove chicken from pan and place on a wire rack set on rimmed baking
sheet. Place in oven and bake chicken until a thermometer, that has been
inserted into the thickest part of the chicken, reads 160-F for breasts and
175-F for thighs and legs. About 15 to 20 minutes. The smaller pieces of
chicken will be done first. Remove pieces as they reach the correct
temperature. Allow chicken to rest 5-minutes before serving.

[Becca Porter]

I am trying this tonight.

[gmm]

Thanks for taking the time to write that up Antilope! I have a bag of chicken drumsticks in the freezer that I'm going to marinate tonight.

[Antilope]

Correction: Step 1 should include 1/4 tsp of garlic powder.

[Antilope]

Corrected recipe with 1/4 tsp of garlic powder included in step 1.

***** Paraphrased recipe *****

Cook's Illustrated Easier Fried Chicken

Serves 4. Published September 1, 2010. From Cook's Illustrated.

You can also use a whole 4-pound chicken that has been cut into 8-pieces
instead of buying precut chicken parts. You can also use skinless chicken but
the fried chicken will be slightly dryer. An 11-inch wide Dutch oven can be
used instead of using a strait-sided saute pan.

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups buttermilk
4 teaspoons Table salt
Dash hot sauce
3 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks,
or a mix, with breasts cut in half), trimmed of excess fat (see note)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 cups vegetable oil

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together 1-cup of buttermilk, 3 teaspoons table salt,
hot sauce, 1 tsp black pepper,1/4 tsp of garlic powder, 1/4 tsp paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Add cut up chicken to the bowl and turn chicken pieces to coat them.
Place in fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.

2. Place oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 400-F.
In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder,
1 teaspoon table salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder,
3/4 teaspoon paprika and remaining cayenne pepper. Add 1/4 cup of
buttermilk to mixture and mix with your fingers until the buttermilk
combines with the flour to form small clumps. Using one piece of chicken
at a time, dredge in the flour mixture. Press the flour mixture onto
the chicken to form a thick and even coating. Place the prepared chicken
pieces on a plate with the skin side of pieces facing upward.

3. In an 11-inch straight-sided saute pan, heat oil over medium heat until
it reaches 375-F. Add chicken pieces, skin side down, to the pan of hot oil.
Cook 3 to 5 minutes, until they are golden brown. Turn pieces over and continue
to cook until they are golden brown on the other side, about 2 to 4 minutes more. Remove chicken from pan and place on a wire rack set on rimmed baking
sheet. Place in oven and bake chicken until a thermometer, that has been
inserted into the thickest part of the chicken, reads 160-F for breasts and
175-F for thighs and legs. About 15 to 20 minutes. The smaller pieces of
chicken will be done first. Remove pieces as they reach the correct
temperature. Allow chicken to rest 5-minutes before serving.

[Becca Porter]

Here's a thread about it on CI Bulletin Board.

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/ib...

[MarkC]

Thanks. Not too much real info on that particular thread. In the end, I didn't use their quick-fry method, but tried the more standard method of fry/cooking, with a few minutes in the oven at the end to crisp and expel some grease.

Frying chicken seems to be very much a matter of trial and error, and as no two kitchens are exactly alike, each cook needs to more or less find what works for them.

I was used to thinking of fried chicken as fast food, but it isn't easy and it isn't fast. One suggestion I would give to newbie fryers is to allot way more time than you think you will need. The oil needs to be very hot, and it takes a long time to heat. Don't even think about doing it without a thermometer to measure oil temperature. Also every liklihood you'll screw up the first batch and need to throw it away. Finally, fried chicken should not be served hot - no steam should emerge after you've taken a bite. This means you will probably want to let it rest for a half an hour, and need to budget this time as well.

The problem with the "trial and error" is that your significant other probably will not allow you too many trials, given that it is unhealthy, and leaves a messy kitchen that reeks of cooking oil.

[bushwickgirl]

Have you read through the numerous fried chicken threads here at chow? Although it seems like you have a good grip on the frying chicken basics, there may be some hints and tips that you could use. At the very least, the threads are interesting informative reads.

See bottom of page for thread links.

[MarkC]

Hi Bushwick girl;

I did indeed read many posts - hence my confusion, as there are many variations. Should you cover the skillet while frying, how many pieces can you crowd into the skillet at one time (most recipes tell you not to crowd, but Laurie Colwin recommends a little crowding in her book), etc. In the end, as I said, I think it's up to everyone to find what works for them, and come up with their own rules of thumb (which may not work for others).

Gmm - I could paraphrase the recipe, but it's not really necessary, as it is mostly standard procedures with a couple of small variations. They use a buttermilk marinade for at least 1 hour or up to overnight, and then use a standard flour/spice mixture, the only variation being that they add some buttermilk to the flour mixture so that it forms small clumps which supposedly fry up nice and crispy on the chicken. I omitted this step, as it just makes a messy job even messier. Then they fry in shallow oil at high temperature (375 degrees) for 3-5 minutes on one side, and then 2-4 on the other, and then into the oven for 15-20 minutes. Nothing really earth-shattering. I don't think anybody deep fries chicken anymore.