Crispy Fried Chicken
Aperçu
Buttermilk marinated, flour dredged, shallow fried chicken is an American Southern preparation, and this recipe is a straightforward version of it. It carries no African attribution in the source and none is claimed here. The connection to Africa is real but historical rather than culinary in this particular recipe. Frying chicken in fat is a technique enslaved West Africans brought to the American South, where it met Scottish shallow frying and the seasoning practices of Black cooks, and what emerged became one of the defining dishes of American food. That lineage is genuine and well documented, and it is why fried chicken appears in discussions of African diaspora food. What this recipe describes, though, is the contemporary American version: buttermilk, seasoned flour, cast iron skillet, and a comparison to a fast food chain. Africa has its own fried chicken traditions, from Nigerian peppered chicken to South African peri peri, and none of them is what is written here. It sits in the Worldwide Recipes collection rather than being presented as African.
Ingrédients
Préparation
- 1
Cut the chicken into pieces, skinning them if you prefer.
- 2
Put the flour in a large plastic bag, letting the quantity of chicken dictate how much you use.
- 3
Season the flour with paprika, salt and pepper. The paprika helps the chicken brown.
- 4
Dip the chicken pieces in buttermilk, then add them a few at a time to the bag of flour, seal and shake to coat well.
- 5
Place the coated chicken on a tray and cover with a clean cloth. Let it sit until the flour takes on a paste-like consistency. This step matters.
- 6
Fill a large skillet, ideally cast iron, a third to half full with vegetable oil and heat until very hot.
- 7
Add as many chicken pieces as the skillet will hold and brown on both sides in the hot oil.
- 8
Once browned, reduce the heat, cover the skillet and cook through, turning once.
- 9
Drain on a wire rack and serve.
Notes de l’Africook
Notes personnelles de Amarachi Irobi- Let the coated chicken rest until the flour looks pasty rather than dry. This is what stops the coating sliding off in the oil.
- Keep the oil at around 175°C. Too cool and the chicken absorbs oil and goes heavy; too hot and the crust burns before the meat is cooked.
- Cook to an internal temperature of 74°C for white meat and 77°C or a little above for dark, which gives the best texture on the thigh.
- Cornstarch in place of some of the flour gives a crisper coating, which is a technique borrowed from Asian fried chicken.
- Drain on a wire rack rather than kitchen paper, which traps steam underneath and softens the base.
Questions fréquentes
Why is my fried chicken not crispy?
The oil was too cool, almost always. Below about 175°C the coating absorbs oil rather than sealing, and the chicken comes out heavy and greasy rather than crisp. Use a thermometer if you have one, fry in batches so the temperature recovers, and do not crowd the pan.
Why does the coating fall off?
The chicken went into the oil too soon after coating, or it was too wet when it was dredged. Let the coated pieces rest until the flour looks pasty, which lets it adhere, and do not move the chicken for the first minute or two in the pan. Shaking off excess flour before frying also helps.
Should I use flour or cornstarch?
A mixture gives the best result. Cornstarch absorbs moisture and puffs as it fries, producing a crisper, more shattering crust, while flour gives structure and browning. Using cornstarch alone works and is common in Asian fried chicken. Straight flour, as in this recipe, gives a softer, more traditional Southern crust.
How long should I fry each piece?
Around 14 minutes on average, though it varies by size, so cook to temperature rather than to the clock. Breast is best at 74°C; thighs and drumsticks are better taken to 77°C or slightly above, which breaks down more connective tissue. Brown first over high heat, then cover and reduce to cook through.
Avis
2 avis
That trick of letting the coated chicken sit until the flour turns into a paste before frying is pure gold o. I couldnt find proper buttermilk at the Sainsbury's here in Manchester so I just soured whole milk with lemon juice. The crust stayed so crunchy and didn't fall off in the vegetable oil at all. e sweet no be small thing.
Shaking the pieces inside the plastic bag with the flour and paprika saves so much mess chale. I used fresh halal chicken from our local butcher in Tamale. The browning was very nice paa, but next time I will add some ground ginger and chili powder to the flour because we like more spice on our fried chicken oo.