Fried Chicken, Good Eats style

It seems bizarre, but prior to this, I had never made proper southern style fried chicken.  Sure, I’d dipped a few boneless chicken pieces in breadcrumbs and fries until golden brown, but there’s a world of difference when you do it right.  My guide was the episode of Good Eats, Fry Hard 2 [Part 1, Part 2].  I wasn’t so hardcore as to cut up my whole chicken, but a pack of 4 chicken thighs from Giant is about $3.50, which is cheap enough for me.

The first step is marinating the  chicken overnight (or for a few hours) in buttermilk.  I am totally in love with buttermilk, but that’s maybe a story for another time.  If that sounds weird and gross, remember that buttermilk is lower in fat than regular milk (because the butter’s been taken out, remember?), and also buttermilk is acidic, so it’ll help tenderize the meat further.  Know how meat from Greece clear on over to India is marinated in yogurt?  Same reason.  The other big trick I learned from Good Eats is to put the seasoning under the meat, not mixed in with the flour.  That way, it’ll be protected from falling off, or not being flavorful enough.  In the episode, he outlines a salt, garlic powder, and paprika mixture that works amazing for this, so follow that to the letter.

Frying seems mysterious at first, but Alton Brown does a pretty good job of explaining it in his book, and in various Good Eats episodes.  Oil needs to be hot enough to get a good fry going and vaporize the water in the food, otherwise, your food ends up soggy rather than crispy.  I got a thermometer that was passable, but the one he uses in the show is best.  The chicken turned out pretty well, the second side was a little overdone, because I turned the heat up as per the instruction, then forgot to turn it back down.  The salt and paprika worked really well with the natural flavor of the dark meat chicken.  The only warning I’d have regarding this recipe is that a large piece of chicken will take 10-12 minutes per side, so if you’re cooking for a large group, multiple batches will take time.  For 2-3 people, or cooking a bunch to serve cold at a picnic, or for a meal later, it’s perfect.

Alton Brown’s Fried Chicken Recipe

What to do with the leftover buttermilk?  Make buttermilk biscuits.