FOOD

HOW TO MAKE SKILLET-FRIED CHICKEN

Written by: Aaron Turner @thehotchickenproject and @aaronigni

Who doesn't love fried chicken! A great way to impress the kids or guests with a home-cooked take-out dinner.

When we asked local Aaron Turner to share with us his personal favorite recipe from his book Hot Chicken Project he shared this.

This recipe is cobbled together from countless hours of trial and error and lots of burnt chicken pieces, and if there's only one thing you take from it then make it this: don't skimp on the lard here. If you do, your chicken will be dry and nasty. One more piece of advice: don't cop out on the skillet. Invest in quality, take care of it and you'll be frying for a lifetime. (A splatter screen is also pretty much a chicken fryer's must-have - it'll save both your kitchen and your favourite metal-band t-shirts from ruin.) says Aaron!
Finally, when breaking down the chicken be sure that the bones are left in and the skin is left on. There is no place in this world for skinless, boneless skillet-fried chicken.

 

Ingredients : 
1 x 1.2kg (2 lb 10 oz) chicken, cut into 8 pieces (2 x wings, 2 x drumsticks, 2  thights, 2 x breasts)
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) buttermilk lard, for deep-frying
sea salt 

Breading 
600 g (1 lb 5 oz/4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tablespoon table salt
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano

Directions : 
Place all the chicken pieces in a bowl, pour over the buttermilk and toss to coat all over. Leave the chicken to sit for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack set above a tray to let the excess buttermilk drip away.
Mix together the breading ingredients in a large bowl.
Individually coat all the chicken pieces in the breading mix, then transfer to a tray. Refrigerate overnight.
The next day, coat the chicken a second time in the breading mix and leave to sit at room temperature on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
Half-fill a heavy-based skillet with melted lard and heat to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Carefully add the leg and thigh pieces to the hot fat and cook for 4 minutes, then add the breasts and wings and cook for a further 4 minutes. Turn the pieces and continue to fry, turning as you go, until the internal temperature reaches 75 degrees C (165 degrees F)) when measured with a probe thermometer, the juices of the chicken are running clear and the spices are golden and crisp. Remove the chicken pieces from the skillet and place on paper towel to drain off any excess oil, then season with salt and serve immediately.

Serves 4 - 6

 

Shop Hot Chicken Project Book by Aaron Turner.