Fried chicken also known as Southern fried chicken.It is a
dish consisting of chicken pieces usually from broiler chickens which have been
floured or battered and then pan-fried,
deep fried, or pressure fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or crust to
the exterior. What separates fried chicken from other fried forms of chicken is that generally the chicken is
cut at the joints and the bones and skin are left intact. Crisp well-seasoned
skin, rendered of excess fat, is a hallmark of well made fried chicken.
Generally, chickens are not fried whole, instead, the
chicken is divided into its four main constituent pieces: the two white meat
sections are the breast and the wing
from the front of the chicken, while the dark meat sections are the thigh and
leg or "drumstick", are from the rear of the chicken. To prepare the
chicken pieces for frying, they are
dredged in flour or a similar dry substance
to coat the meat and to develop a crust.Seasonings such as salt, pepper,
cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, or ranch dressing mix can
be mixed in with the flour. As the pieces of chicken cook, some of the moisture that exudes
from the chicken is absorbed by the coating of flour and browns along with the
flour, creating a flavorful crust.
Traditionally, lard is used to fry the chicken, but corn
oil, peanut oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil are also frequently used. The
flavor of olive oil is generally considered too strong to be used for
traditional fried chicken, and its low smoke point makes it unsuitable for use.There
are three main techniques for frying chickens: pan frying, deep frying and
broasting. Pan frying requires a frying
pan of sturdy construction and a source
of fat that does not fully immerse the chicken. The chicken pieces are prepared
as above, then fried. Generally the fat is heated to a temperature hot enough to seal (without
browning, at this point) the outside of the chicken pieces. Once the pieces
have been added to the hot fat and sealed, the temperature is reduced. There is
debate as to how often to turn the chicken pieces, with one camp arguing for
often turning and even browning, and the other camp pushing for letting the pieces render
skin side down and only turning when absolutely necessary. Once the chicken
pieces are close to being done the temperature is raised and the pieces are
browned to the desired color (some cooks add small amounts of butter at this
point to enhance browning).
The moisture from the chicken that sticks and browns on the
bottom of the pan become the fonds required to make gravy.Chicken Maryland is
made when the pan of chicken pieces, and fat, is placed in the oven to cook,
for a majority of the overall cooking time, basically "fried in the
oven".Deep frying requires a deep fryer or other device in which
the chicken pieces can be completely submerged in hot fat. The pieces are
floured as above or battered using a
batter of flour and liquid (and seasonings) mixed together. The batter may
contain ingredients like eggs, milk, and leavening. The fat is heated in the
deep fryer to the desired temperature. The pieces are added to the fat and a
constant temperature is maintained throughout the cooking process.Broasting
uses a pressure cooker to accelerate the process. The moisture inside the
chicken becomes steam and increases the pressure in the cooker, lowering the cooking temperature needed. The steam also
cooks the chicken through, but still allows the pieces to be moist and tender
while maintaining a crisp coating. Fat is heated in a pressure cooker. Chicken
pieces are then floured or battered and then placed in the hot fat. The lid is
placed on the pressure cooker, and the chicken pieces are thus fried under pressure.Friedchicken usually served with sauce,they can be served as starter or snack.
