About a year and a half ago I decided that I was going to cook my way through Tyler's book, Stirring the Pot. I liked the way Tyler's book was broken down into rather unique chapters, each chapter celebrating a specific cooking technique: Roast; Saute; Braise; Fry; Grill; Bake; Steam; Fresh and Raw. At that time I was pretty good at roasting,sauteing, braising and baking. Fresh and raw...no problem! However, when it came to frying, grilling, and steaming I had no experience......and I still don't! Somehow I have managed to put off the recipes in those chapters (I'm definitely one to procrastinate).
Well, I'm procrastinating no longer. Awhile back my husband bought a deep fryer because we thought it would be easier to regulate the temperature of the oil that way. The deep fryer makes things easier for me and I like the fact that it frees up the stove top. I practiced my deep-frying by making french fries in the fryer and learned that it ran on the hot side. If a recipe calls to fry at 375F, I've learned to turn my fryer down to around 325F. After some practice I thought I had a pretty good handle on frying......but that was not the case.
My first batch of fried chicken cooked all the way through but the coating was very dark. I turned the oil down and decided to cook the chicken a little longer on the second batch. When the second batch came out the coating was perfect, but the chicken was still pink inside..........really not good! I turned the temperature back up a tad and fried the third batch. You know what they say about the third time being a charm? Well, thank God the third time was a charm! Each batch fried for about 20 minutes, meaning that I stood in the kitchen lording over the fryer for an hour and I was in no mood for raw or burnt chicken.
Tyler's fried chicken is marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce which makes the chicken very tender. The coating is made from all purpose flour, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, and cayenne pepper and has quite a bit of flavor. He serves his fried chicken with ancho cress or any other peppery lettuce, as well as sliced cherry tomatoes and a homemade buttermilk blue cheese dressing. In the book Tyler pours the buttermilk blue cheese dressing over the fried chicken. We decided to serve ours on the side. Overall I would say that this is a solid recipe for fried chicken. The chicken was tender and the coating was flavorful with all the spices. I don't know if I would make it again, but then that might not be a fair statement since I'm not much on frying. You can find the recipes online HERE and HERE.
Next up from Stirring the Pot is Tempura Green Beans with Chile, Garlic, and Sesame Aioli! I think I nabbed the last of the fresh green beans and I'm really looking forward to this one.
I'd say the third time was definitely a charm, Kim! It looks perfect. I love the buttermilk/hot sauce marinade combined with the crust...oh man, I would LOVE some of your fried chicken! And I'm with you, I'd keep the sauce on the side...no point in ruining that gorgeous crispy skin you worked so hard on. Oh man, I can just imagine ripping off a hunk and dipping it in there...drool!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have a deep fryer that I never ever use. I should get it out and make a batch of fried chicken!
ReplyDeleteI'm not big on frying at home myself. Something about a big pot of oil on the stove kind of scares me. Your chicken though looks mouthwatering good. I like that you served the dressing on the side, I don't think I would have liked it either on top of the chicken!
ReplyDeleteYour chicken looks really tasty. I must admit in front of all who think me a closet gourmet, that fried chicken, properly cooked, is one of my favorite meals. Yours is pretty close to perfect. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteIf I ate chicken I'd devour this-
ReplyDeleteexcellent job! i'm completely lost when it comes to frying, which is a shame because i love fried chicken. your pictures are making me crave it!
ReplyDeleteI think your chicken looks really good. I recently bought a fryer just to make chicken cutlets and now I use it all the time. I find it cooks things more evenly. Great job!
ReplyDeleteMmmm...fried chicken! Never made it at home (too much of a scaredy pants to fry anything), so we always to out to Popeye's for fried chicken.
ReplyDeleteI have never deep fried anything ever and I have no plans on ever doing it. Partially because of my intense fear of hot oil. But this does look quite tasty.
ReplyDeleteI'm SO glad you're joining in on the Symon fun!
I love fried chicken, but rarely make it. You have me rethinking that.
ReplyDeleteMimi
Oh my, this is the second fried chicken I'm seeing today. You guys are killing me LOL
ReplyDelete*kisses* HH
It's so much fun, Kim, to check out not just what you're cooking (and learning) but also the books you're reading and cooking from. I'm a foodie book lover, too, and am always so pleased to come across titles I haven't yet had the chance to peruse. You've got some here that just look great :) Thanks for the reading and cooking inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI was just having a craving for a piece of fried chicken the other day. ;-) Your chicken looks wonderful--I like all the spice in there!
ReplyDeleteI swear there art to making fried chicken. Looks like you might have a winner recipe. Hmmmm I love fried chicken.
ReplyDeleteGood for you - third time was a charm then. I am actually afraid of deep fryers. That is probably dorky, but I'm clumsy....hot oil. Me. Bad combo.
ReplyDeleteI made that butter chicken of Tyler Florence's as you recommened. Fan-freaking-tastic!
Mmm, I could go for some for a midnight snack! Gotta love Tyler, and friend chicken. ☺
ReplyDeleteOops, I meant fried chicken! Oh well, friend chicken sounds good too. ♥
ReplyDeleteFried chicken never looked better. So perfect, crispy brown and delicious.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a yummy recipe...glad it finally worked out for you. I tend to get the entire kitchen greasy and get rather grumpy when I fry chicken, so I rarely do it.
ReplyDeleteOMGosh this looks finger lickin good! My mouth is watering. Perfect for a summer picnic, and I must confess I love cold fried chicken for breakfast. Well done.
ReplyDeleteoh this looks amazing love the spices
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed with your fried chicken skills, even if it did take 3 times. It looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds amazing! Your posts always make me sooo hungry. I'm going to have to bust out our deep fryer and give this a try. YUM!
ReplyDeleteI've made this, it is good!
ReplyDeleteFunny how our convenience appliances sometimes make even more work for us, isn't it?
Looks great -- I am on such a buttermilk kick these days!
ReplyDeleteI keep telling myself to try making deep fried chicken for my first time. I haven't done it, yet. Tyler would be my Ultimate choice. Buttermilk rocks, and good for you for not giving up! BTW, I get to see Tyler next month. He's returning to the Harvest Festival where I got to chat with him and eat some of his food. I'm so excited!
ReplyDeleteI am lusting after your chicken! What a great idea to add hot sauce in with the buttermilk. And serving it with blue cheese is so unique and delicious!
ReplyDeletegosh, i heart fried chicken and there are good recipes and bad ones. this looks like a good one, not greasy at all. good job, Kim.
ReplyDeleteRoz