NEW YORK, July 29 ― The chicken
Delicious fried chicken starts with the bird. A single chicken of 3 to 4 pounds can be cut into 10 parts for frying: 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings and the 2 breasts each cut in two, with the backbone discarded. This will feed four people well. But you can also buy chicken parts. For a crowd that favors dark meat, buy packs of thighs and drumsticks. If you prefer white meat, breasts will fry up nicely (on the bone, please).
The brine
To brine a chicken means to submerge it in a solution of salt and water, sometimes flavoured with other ingredients, in order to season and add moisture to the meat. You can certainly fry chicken without brining the meat, but we recommend against that. Brining is very little work, and it adds tremendously to the finished flavour.
Basic brine
Dissolve 4 tablespoons kosher salt in 4 cups lukewarm water, then add the chicken parts to the solution. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours and up to overnight. (You might add a few tablespoons of sugar to the mixture, along with some fresh herbs or chopped garlic.)
Buttermilk brine
For many fried chicken aficionados, the only acceptable brine is made with buttermilk. To make one, dissolve 2 tablespoons kosher salt in 4 cups fresh buttermilk, along with a healthy grind of black pepper, then add the chicken to it, cover and place in the refrigerator for a few hours and up to overnight.
Pickle brine
Put 2 cups pickle juice in a large bowl and add the chicken to it. Cover and refrigerate a few hours, up to overnight, turning a few times along the way. The result: shockingly flavourful, juicy meat.
Cola brine
Combine 2 cups cola with 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 4 cloves chopped garlic, 8 sprigs fresh thyme and a tablespoon or more of hot sauce. Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for a few hours, turning a few times along the way. The cola adds a caramel hue and sweetness to the meat, but after more than a few hours it begins to degrade it, too. Proceed with caution.
Cider brine
For sweet, almost autumnal chicken, dissolve 4 tablespoons kosher salt in 2 cups apple cider, then add the meat to the solution, cover and refrigerate for a few hours and up to overnight.
The coating
A shatteringly crisp crust is a hallmark of great fried chicken. You achieve that by breading the exterior of the meat and skin with starch, or by using a batter. Some cooks combine the methods, and dip the chicken in buttermilk, milk or eggs before coating it in seasoned flour or starch.
The easiest breading method is to place the chicken in a large paper bag filled with flour that is seasoned with salt, pepper and occasionally paprika or hot pepper. Close the bag, shake it, and then remove each piece and shake off excess flour. You can use a big bowl in place of the bag; just dredge the chicken pieces through the seasoned flour and proceed as directed.
Not all cooks use all-purpose flour. Alternative starches include gluten-free flours, breadcrumbs, the Japanese breadcrumbs known as panko, cracker crumbs and potato starch. (Other coatings include — really! — crumbled Cheetos and Doritos.)
The cooking
You can deep-fry the chicken in a lot of oil, or you can shallow-fry it in a little less. But if you go the less-oil route, the fat should rise to at least halfway up the pieces to ensure even frying on each side. Either way, use tongs to turn the chicken a few times while it cooks. And, crucially, do not crowd the pan. You want plenty of oil surrounding each piece, but not so much that it spatters everywhere and creates a mess. (In warmer months, if you don’t want to mess up your kitchen, cook outside, using a gas grill to heat your oil in a pan set on the grate above the burner.)
The pan
You’ll need a heavy, wide skillet with a lid. Cast iron is the preferred material for the even heat it provides and retains. The skillet should be 11 or 12 inches in diameter and, ideally, it should be deep enough that there is a good inch or so above the surface of the oil even when there is chicken in it, to help reduce spatter and mess. For this reason, an enameled cast-iron pot can be an excellent vessel for frying chicken.
The fat
Some cooks fry in lard, others in oil, or in a combination of the two. What you want is an oil that has a high smoke point, which means that it can be heated to a high temperature without burning. Olive oil and butter have low smoke points. Do not use them for fried chicken. Instead, try peanut, canola or vegetable oil. (As the oil heats on the stove, you might slide a single slice of bacon into it to perfume the fat, but this is hardly a requirement. Remove the bacon before frying the chicken.)
The temperature
The ideal temperature at which to fry chicken is a steady 350 degrees. Monitor that by using a candy thermometer. (No candy thermometer? Flick a little flour into your oil. If it sizzles furiously, you’re in the right neighbourhood.) Bring the oil back up to 350 degrees before you add the next batch of chicken.
The resting
After you remove your chicken from the skillet, let it rest before serving. Some people place the hot chicken on a paper bag, or on a paper towel. But this can lead to soggy skin. A better technique is to rest the chicken on a wire rack set on top of a baking sheet, sprinkling a little salt on it when it’s hot for extra flavour.
Varying the flavours
Once you’ve mastered the basic buttermilk fried chicken recipe, explore these different styles.
Nashville-style fried chicken
The searing heat in this preparation comes from ghost-chili powder and a generous amount of cayenne pepper. To make it, add 2 tablespoons hot sauce to buttermilk brine. Dust the pieces with 3 tablespoons cayenne, 1 tablespoon ghost-chili powder and 1 tablespoon sugar before dredging in flour. After frying, dust the pieces again with cayenne. Serve with white bread and a cold beer.
Korean fried chicken
Known as yangnyeom dak, this crunchy fried chicken takes its deep flavour and rich heat from an oniony marinade and a coating made with gochujang, the Korean chili paste. To make it, smear the pieces with a mixture of 1 grated onion, 2 chopped garlic cloves, salt and pepper, and let sit for an hour. Dredge in a flour-cornstarch mix, then fry. Mix together 3 tablespoons gochujang, 3 tablespoons ketchup, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and the juice of half a lemon. Brush the chili sauce liberally on the fried pieces while the chicken is still hot.
Adobo fried chicken
This chicken takes its vinegary cue from the national dish of the Philippines. Start with a broth of 2 1/2 cups white vinegar, 3 minced garlic cloves, 4 bay leaves, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns, in which you’ll simmer the chicken for 15 minutes. Dredge the pieces in a mix of 2 cups buttermilk, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon paprika and some black pepper, then fry. Serve with a dipping sauce of 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 sliced Thai bird chilies.
Buttermilk fried chicken
Total time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 chicken, approximately 3 to 3 1/2 pounds, cut into 10 pieces (or use a mix of thighs and drumsticks)
3 to 4 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons kosher salt, more as needed
2 teaspoons ground black pepper, more as needed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups peanut oil, lard or a neutral oil like canola, more as needed
1. Place chicken pieces in a bowl and toss them with buttermilk, 2 tablespoons salt and a healthy grind of black pepper. Cover and marinate for at least an hour and up to a day.
2. Combine flour, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper in a large bowl or, ideally, a paper bag large enough to accommodate the flour and the pieces of chicken.
3. Pour oil into a large, heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet with high sides and a lid, to a depth of a few inches. Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.
4. Set a rack on a baking sheet or tray. Place the chicken pieces in the paper bag filled with the flour mixture and shake well to coat, or toss them in the bowl with the flour mixture to achieve a similar result.
5. Shake off excess flour and fry the pieces of chicken skin-side down, in batches so as not to crowd the pan, for about 12 to 15 minutes, covered by the lid. Remove the lid, turn over the chicken pieces, and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes more, uncovered, until they are cooked through and a deep golden brown.
6. Remove chicken to the rack to drain and rest, sprinkle with salt and serve warm or at room temperature. ― The New York Times
