Show Archive
Tuesday 8th September 2020.
September 8, 2020
It is Tuesday that means that it is Feisty Foodie say with Sara. Today’s recipe:
Amazing Cast Iron Fried Chicken (start it the night before)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 3–4-lb. chicken (not kosher), cut into 10 pieces, backbone and wing tips removed
- 1 cup buttermilk (or make your own with milk and lemon juice, if you can’t find any)
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Peanut oil or canola oil (for frying)
PREPARATION
- Whisk 1 Tbsp. salt, 2 tsp. black pepper, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder and onion powder in a ziploc bag. Place the chicken the in the bag and make sure it gets fully coated in the spice mixture. Place the bag on a plate, and chill overnight.
- Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and bring up to room temperature for 1 hour.
- Whisk buttermilk, egg, and 1/2 cup water in a medium bowl.
- Whisk flour, cornstarch, remaining 1 Tbsp. salt, the remaining 1 Tbsp. pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a baking dish to make the dredge
- Pour oil into a 10″–12″ cast-iron skillet or other heavy straight-sided skillet (not nonstick) to a depth of 3/4″. Prop deep-fry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°. Meanwhile, set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Working with 1 piece at a time (use 1 hand for wet ingredients and the other for dry ingredients), dip chicken in buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge in flour mixture; tap against bowl to shake off excess. Place 5 pieces of chicken in skillet. Fry chicken, turning with tongs every 1–2 minutes and adjusting heat to maintain a steady temperature of 300°–325°, until skin is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165°, about 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for thighs, legs, and breasts.
- Using tongs, remove chicken from skillet, allowing excess oil to drip back into skillet; transfer chicken to prepared rack.
- Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
TIP: For a buffalo sandwich, use chicken breast pounded to about ¾ inch thickness and prepare as above. Dip in my Buffalo sauce from last week after chicken has rested. Top with coleslaw and some pickle slices and serve on a fresh toasted bun.
How to make your own buttermilk substitute
1 cup buttermilk = 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + enough milk to measure 1 cup
The simplest way to substitute buttermilk is to pour 1 Tbs. of lemon juice (or vinegar) into a 1 cup measurer and then fill the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Then gently stir the mixture and let it sit for about 5 minutes.