Awesome Pan Fried Chicken From Cooks Illustrated Recipes

AWESOME PAN FRIED CHICKEN FROM COOKS ILLUSTRATED

Steps:

• Wash chicken. Pat dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil over medium high heat. Add chicken skin side down. Cook for 6-8 minutes.
• Carefully flip chicken in pan, using tongs. (I find that a rolling motion, as opposed to a pulling or pushing, helps to get the chicken up without pulling off the skin.) Reduce heat to medium low. Add chicken broth. Cover pan and cook 15 minutes.
• Remove chicken from pan. Pour off broth into a bowl or saucepan for use in gravy. Carefully wipe out pan with paper towels.
• Add remaining tbsp of oil in pan. Place chicken pieces back in pan skin side down. Cook another 5 minutes.

BEST-EVER FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, mix the first 6 ingredients. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk egg, milk and lemon juice until blended. Dip chicken in flour mixture to coat all sides; shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture, then again in flour mixture., In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry chicken, a few pieces at a time, 6-10 minutes on each side or until skin is golden brown and juices run clear. Drain on paper towels.

SOUTHERN PAN-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• The night before serving: Place chicken in a large bowl and set aside. In a large pitcher, combine kosher salt with 6 cups of water and stir until the salt has dissolved. Pour salted water over chicken pieces until they are submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• In the morning, drain chicken pieces and rinse chicken and bowl. Return chicken to bowl and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
• About 1¼ hours before serving, combine the lard, butter and ham in a large heavy skillet. Cook over low heat, skimming as needed, until ham is lightly browned, 30 to 45 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove ham and brown bits from fat. Increase heat to medium high to heat the fat to 335 degrees.
• In a shallow bowl combine flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper; mix well. Dredge chicken pieces thoroughly in flour mixture, then pat well to remove excess flour. Working in batches (do not crowd pan), place chicken pieces skin side down in fat. Cook 8 to 10 minutes on each side, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Drain on crumpled paper towels. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold.