Cold Fried Chicken Food

COLD FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• One day before you're frying, mix all the soaking ingredients in a big container or two. Put the thighs in to soak, and refrigerate overnight.
• The following day, mix the dredging ingredients in a big deep bowl or high-sided roasting pan. Remove the chicken from the soak, piece by piece, allowing excess buttermilk to drip off away from the dredge. Drop each piece into flour mixture, a few at a time, leaving space between each piece. Shake, and toss to coat each piece evenly and thoroughly.
• Lay the dredged chicken on a rack set over a cookie sheet to allow the coating to dry and cling, leaving space between the pieces.
• Heat oil to 325 degrees, testing with a thermometer, or by dropping a few specks of flour in, and begin to fry when the specks sizzle calmly. Fry in batches, until just shy of golden. Continue until all have been fried, lowering the heat as needed to keep the temperature constant, and straining out excess flour to keep the oil clean. Let thighs rest on a rack over a cookie sheet or dish towel. Skim all the excess flour out of the oil, or carefully strain it into a new pot and raise heat to 350. Fry the thighs again, in batches, to (in Hamilton's words) "finish to gorgeous deep golden brown."
• Drain on a rack. Leave at room temperature for a same-day picnic, or refrigerate overnight if you're eating the following day. Bring buttermilk dressing! Bring hot sauce! Bring butter lettuce! Bring rosé!

PICNIC FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pat chicken pieces with paper towels; place in large flat dish. Pour buttermilk over chicken; cover, and allow to soak at least 1 hour or overnight in refrigerator. , Combine coating ingredients in large shallow dish. Add chicken pieces, one at a time, and turn to coat well. Lay coated pieces on waxed paper for 15 minutes to allow coating to dry (will cling better in frying)., In a Dutch oven or other deep skillet, heat 1/2 in. oil over medium heat to 350°. Fry chicken, uncovered, until coating is dark golden brown and meat is no longer pink, turning occasionally, 7-8 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Take your cut up chicken pieces and skin them if you prefer. Put the flour in a large plastic bag (let the amount of chicken you are cooking dictate the amount of flour you use). Season the flour with paprika, salt and pepper to taste (paprika helps to brown the chicken).
• Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk then, a few at a time, put them in the bag with the flour, seal the bag and shake to coat well. Place the coated chicken on a cookie sheet or tray, and cover with a clean dish towel or waxed paper. LET SIT UNTIL THE FLOUR IS OF A PASTE-LIKE CONSISTENCY. THIS IS CRUCIAL!
• Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot. Put in as many chicken pieces as the skillet can hold. Brown the chicken in HOT oil on both sides. When browned, reduce heat and cover skillet; let cook for 30 minutes (the chicken will be cooked through but not crispy). Remove cover, raise heat again and continue to fry until crispy.
• Drain the fried chicken on paper towels. Depending on how much chicken you have, you may have to fry in a few shifts. Keep the finished chicken in a slightly warm oven while preparing the rest.

CHINESE STYLE FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut chicken into inch pieces.
• Whisk together egg whites and soy sauce.
• Soak chicken in soy mixture for 20 minutes covered in the fridge.
• Add 2 cups oil to wok or deep fryer.
• Heat wok to 350°F.
• Put cornstarch and flour into a reseal able plastic freezer bag.
• Add chicken to bag a little at a time, shake until evenly coated. Add more of the 50/50 flour mixture as needed to finish the job.
• Add chicken to wok.
• Fry 15 seconds only. No browning yet!
• Remove chicken and place aside on a cookie sheet or bowl lined with paper towels.
• After all of the chicken has cooked for 15 seconds let cool for a few minutes.
• Fry it an additional 15-20 seconds or until golden.
• Always check meat. If it is pink it needs to be cooked longer.
• Top with your favorite lemon or orange sauce.

COLD FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Stir together the black pepper, paprika, salt and garlic powder in a bowl. Rub chicken with half the seasonings, then stir the remaining seasonings into the flour in a bowl. Let seasoned chicken rest in fridge 8 hours or up to overnight.
• Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Dredge seasoned chicken in the seasoned flour. Fry until cooked through, 10 to 20 minutes. Place chicken in fridge until chilled, 1 to 2 hours.
• Split open hoagie rolls without cutting all the way through. Slice chilled chicken and glaze with onion dressing. Assemble sandwiches with mayo first, then veggies, then chicken. Enjoy!

EXTRA-CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large measuring cup or pitcher, combine ¼ cup salt and 2 cups hot tap water. Stir until dissolved. Add 2 cups cold tap water and stir to combine.
• Add chicken pieces to a large resealable plastic bag. Pour brine into bag and seal. Transfer to refrigerator, 8-12 hours.
• Fill a large dutch oven or cast iron pot with enough oil to reach a depth of 4 inches. Over medium-high, heat oil to 350 degrees on a candy or deep fry thermometer. Place a wire rack over a sheet pan and place next to stove.
• In a deep pie plate or cake pan, combine flour, cayenne, paprika, celery seed, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk to combine. Remove a piece of chicken from brine. Without shaking off too much liquid, dip directly into flour mixture. Using both hands, adhere flour mixture to chicken, using a pinching motion with your fingers to create a rough, shaggy texture with the flour. The more you pinch to create this shaggy effect, the more crunchy and textured the fried chicken will be. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with remaining pieces.
• Carefully lower 3-4 pieces of chicken into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd. Fry, flipping occasionally until chicken pieces are deeply golden and read 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 10-12 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to the prepared rack, and repeat with remaining pieces, adjusting the flame to maintain 350 degrees.
• Serve.

COLD-SMOKED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Turn on the smoker, set it at the lowest possible temperature, and let it generate smoke for 10 minutes. Put the chicken thighs into one or two disposable aluminum containers that will fit in your smoker. Fill a third container with ice. Put the ice in the bottom of the smoker and put the chicken thighs on racks above the ice. Smoke the thighs for 1 hour and then turn them over. If the ice has melted, remove the container and replace with fresh ice. Smoke the chicken thighs for another hour.
• Put the buttermilk in a bowl and add the hot sauce and 2 tablespoons (36 grams) salt. Stir to dissolve the salt. When the thighs are done smoking, place them in a large zip-top bag and pour the buttermilk mixture over them. Seal the bag, pressing out any excess air, and turn the thighs in the bag. Place the bag in the refrigerator and let the thighs brine for 24 hours. Occasionally turn the bag so that the thighs are fully submerged and coated in the buttermilk.
• Set a baking rack over a sheet pan. Put the flour, 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt, and cayenne in a bowl. Use a whisk to combine them evenly. Remove the chicken thighs from the buttermilk mixture and put them on the rack to drain. Dredge each thigh in the flour mixture and return it to the rack.
• Put the rice bran oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed chicken fryer or other large skillet. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 360°F (182°C). Turn the oven to 250°F (120°C). Take a second baking rack and put it on a sheet pan. When the oil is hot, add 3 or 4 thighs to the oil and fry until they are a rich golden brown, about 10 minutes. Maintain an oil temperature of 350°F (175°C). Depending on the size of your pot, you may have to flip the thighs once to brown them evenly. When the first set of thighs is browned, transfer them to the rack and put the rack in the oven to allow the meat to finish cooking and stay warm while you fry the remaining chicken. Repeat with the rest of the thighs, allowing the last batch to rest for 10 minutes in the oven before serving.