There’s nothing like deliciously decadent fried chicken. It’s an American classic. Tonight, Belkys is in the kitchen with local cookbook author Lee Schrager to learn his home-spun secret recipes for the nation’s best fried chicken. So get out your wetnaps, and let’s grab a bite.
The Chef: Lee Brian Schrager
The Cookbook: Fried & True
The Dish: Fried Chicken Southern-Style by Jacques Pépin
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
4 cups Canola oil (or other kinds of oil, to taste)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Method of Preparation:
– Put the chicken in a ziploc bag, then add the buttermilk, salt and Tabasco sauce. Seal and shake to evenly distribute the buttermilk and seasonings. Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
– In a 12-inch skillet, gently heat the Canola oil to 375 degrees (or, use the oil of your preference). Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk mixture, keeping as much of the buttermilk coating on the pieces as possible. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture until thickly covered on all sides. Be sure to dredge the chicken when it’s cold– the flour will stick better.
– Place the chicken skin-side down in the hot oil; the oil should be deep enough so that it comes almost to the top of the chicken pieces. Do not crowd the chicken. Cook until the exterior is browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the rack to cool (The chicken can be kept warm in a 170 degree oven for 1 hour).
To Plate:
Plate the fried chicken with coleslaw and a homemade biscuit.
Serving suggestion: Sangria
Serves: 4
Fried & True
More Than 50 Recipes for America’s Best Fried Chicken and Sides
by Lee Brian Schrager with Adeena Sussman
Fried & True hit the bookstores last week, on May 20, and tonight there’s an open party at the Perez Art Museum in Miami where they’ll be serving up a “fried and true” chicken dinner.