12 Tips for Perfect Fried Chicken
The Rules of Frying Chicken
1. Pick a bird that is no bigger than 3 1/2 pounds. Anything over this size really isn’t meant to be fried. To me, a 3-pound bird is perfect.
2. To ensure the breasts don’t overcook and become too dry, cut the double lobed breast into three. (Take note of the image of the raw chicken above.)
3. In my opinion, wet bringing does nothing for chicken but change the texture of the chicken to be more like ham. I am not a fan.
4. If you have a collection for good chicken, why cover up the taste of a great bird with lots of unnecessary flavors?
5. To retain moisture, I use the Russ Parsons/Judy Rodgers method of dry bringing as a guide and salt the chicken the night before, or at least 2 hours before frying.
6. You don’t need a deep fryer to make great fried chicken. A high-sided Dutch oven or cast iron pot (not pan) is fine. Fill the bottom with peanut oil about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in depth. It should come up the sides of the pot no more than a third. When you add the chicken, the oil level will rise.
7. After you powder coat the chicken the second time, allow the chicken rest on a rack for twenty minutes to form a crust before you fry it. This also grants the chicken to warm to room temperature which will help it to cook through. Use the time to finish any sides.
8. Your oven is your best friend here. Fried chicken is meant to rest before it is eaten. In turn, I don’t worry too much about interior because I always keep the chicken in a 250˚ F oven. I let it rest in there about twenty minutes, which grants time for it to finish cooking, remain crispy, and lets me finish any side dishes too.
9. Don’t forget to fry up the giblets too — I always throw in extras. Serve them with a side of wing sauce. You’ll be happy you did.
10. Choose lots of sides that can be made ahead of time so when you go to fry the chicken, there is nothing else to think about.
11. Gluten-free flours such as 4 Cup make for a crispier crust. If you are going to use wheat flour, add a 1/4 cup of cornstarch to the flour to crisp up the crust.
12. Take your time, don’t short cut anything, and give the chicken lots of room. Enjoy yourself, frying chicken is fun!