Fried Chicken - China Antifreeze Mono Ethylene Glycol - Mono Ethylene Glycol

Techniques

Techniques

First the chicken must be cut up.

Generally the chicken is segmented at the joints and the breastbone is split lengthwise. Care is usually made to leave the skin intact, though many people today remove the skin completely for dietary reasons. The chicken pieces may be marinated in buttermilk, or simply dipped in buttermilk or milk, but neither of those steps are essential. The chicken pieces are then dredged in white wheat flour (or a mixture of ingredients like: wheat or other grain flours; courser ground grains like cornmeal; and breadcrumbs). Seasonings such as salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ranch dressing mix can be mixed in with the flour.

There are three basic methods which are used to fry chicken.

Lard is the traditional fat, but today corn oil, peanut oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil is used. The flavor of olive oil, is generally considered too strong to be used for traditional fried chicken.

Pan frying (or shallow frying) requires a frying pan (cast iron is traditional) and an amount of fat that may vary by recipe and technique, usually from a quarter inch to halfway up the chicken pieces. The chicken pieces are prepared as above, then fried. Generally the fat is heated to a temperature hot enough to seal (without browning, at this point) the outside of the chicken pieces. Once the pieces have been added to the hot fat and sealed, the temperature is reduced. There is debate as to how often to turn the chicken pieces, with one camp arguing for often turning and even browning, and the other camp pushing for letting the pieces render skin side down and only turning when absolutely necessary. Once the chicken pieces are close to being done the temperature is raised and the pieces are browned to the desired color (some cooks add small amounts of butter at this point to enhance browning). The moisture from the chicken that sticks and browns on the bottom of the pan become the fonds required to make gravy. "Maryland Style Fried Chicken" is made when the pan of chicken pieces, and fat, is placed in the oven to cook, for a majority of the overall cooking time, basically "fried in the oven".

Deep frying requires a deep fryer or other device in which the chicken pieces can be completely submerged in hot fat. The pieces are floured as above or battered using a batter of flour and liquid (and seasonings) mixed together. The batter can/may contain ingredients like eggs, milk, and leavening. The fat is heated in the deep fryer to the desired temperature. The pieces are added to the fat and a constant temperature is maintained throughout the cooking process.

Almost like a hybrid of both previous methods, a pressure cooker is often used. The moisture inside the chicken becomes steam and increases the pressure in the cooker, lowering the cooking temperature needed. The steam also cooks the chicken through, but still allows the pieces to be moist and tender while maintaining a crisp coating. Fat is heated in a pressure cooker. Chicken pieces are then floured or battered and then placed in the hot fat. The lid is placed on the pressure cooker, and the chicken pieces are thus fried under pressure. This method (deep or shallow frying in a pressure cooker) is also known as broasting.

History

Deep frying has a long history supported by evidence from ancient cultures all over the world including Russia, Mexico, Japan and Brooklyn. Fritters had already existed in Europe since medieval time, and fried chicken was known as pollo fritto in Italy, Ga Xao in Vietnam, etc. before it became a culinary habit in the Southern United States. The Scots, and later Scottish immigrants to many southern states had a tradition of deep frying chicken in fat, unlike their English counterparts who baked or boiled chicken. There is also evidence of deep frying in West Africa. It is uncertain if deep frying existed in that region before European contact.

After the development of larger and faster growing hogs (due to crosses between European and Asian breeds) in the 18th and 19th century, in the United States, backyard and small scale hog production provided an inexpensive means of converting waste food, crop waste, and garbage into calories (in a relatively small space and in a relatively short period of time). Many of those calories came in the form of fat and rendered lard. Lard was used for almost all cooking and was a fundamental component in many common homestead foods (many that today are still regarded as holiday and comfort foods) like biscuits and pies. The economic/caloric necessity of consuming lard and other saved fats may have lead to the popularity of fried foods, not only in the US, but worldwide. In the 19th century cast iron became widely available for use in cooking. The combination of flour, lard, a chicken and a heavy pan placed over a relatively controllable flame became the beginning of today's fried chicken.

When it was introduced to the American South, fried chicken became a common staple. Later, as Africans were brought to work on southern plantations, the slaves who became cooks incorporated seasonings and spices that were absent in traditional Scottish cuisine, enriching the flavor. Since most slaves were unable to raise expensive meats, but generally allowed to keep chickens, frying chicken on special occasions spread through the African American communities of the South. It endured the fall of slavery and gradually passed into common use as a general Southern dish. Since fried chicken traveled well in hot weather before refrigeration was commonplace, it gained further favor in the periods of American history when segregation closed off most restaurants to the black population. Fried chicken continues to be among this region's top choices for "Sunday dinner" among both blacks and whites. Holidays such as Independence Day and other gatherings often feature this dish.

Since the Civil War, traditional slave foods like fried chicken, watermelon, and chitterlings, have suffered a strong association with African American stereotypes and blackface minstrelsy. This was commercialized for the first half of the 20th century by restaurants like Sambo's and Coon Chicken Inn, which selected exaggerated blacks as mascots, implying quality by their association with the stereotype. While acknowledged positively as soul food in the modern age by many, the affinity that African American culture has for fried chicken has been considered a delicate, often pejorative issue; While still present, this perception has been fading for several decades with the ubiquitous nature of fried chicken dishes in the US and a gradual ageing and dull acceptation of this stereotype.

Before the industrialization of chicken production, and the creation of broiler breeds of chicken, only young spring chickens,(pullets or cockerels) would be suitable for the higher heat and relatively fast cooking time of frying, making fried chicken a luxury of spring and summer. Older, tougher birds require longer cooking times at lower temperatures. To compensate for this, sometimes tougher birds are simmered till tender, allowed to cool and dry, and then fried. (This method is common in Australia.) Another method is to fry the chicken pieces using a pan fried method. The chicken pieces are then simmered in liquid, usually, a gravy made in the pan that the chicken pieces were cooked in. This process (of flouring, frying and simmering in gravy) is known as "smothering" and can be used for other tough cuts of meat, swiss steak being another example. Smothered chicken is still consumed today, though with the exception of people who raise their own chickens, or who seek out stewing hens, it is primarily made using commercial broiler chickens.

The synonyms country fried and chicken fried often refer to other foods, usually boneless and sometimes "cubed" (by running the meat through a tenderizing machine that makes small cuts through the meat) that have been floured or battered and cooked like fried chicken. Chicken fried steak is a common example (see below) as is "chicken fried" chicken (usually a boneless breast flattened and fried).

Fried Chicken and the World

Of course like most food the possibilities for seasoning combinations are basically infinite. Southern fried chicken can be prepared with the addition of many different seasonings that can evoke the cuisines of the world. Ingredients like curry powder, Chinese five spice, sesame seeds, and tandoori powder convey distinct Asian flavors not common to traditional fried chicken. While those unique creations are technically fried chicken, they are generally represented by their dominant flavor (i.e. five spice fried chicken) and are presented as distinct (either in homes or on menu's) from fried chicken.

Not only has fried chicken spread around the world, with the restaurant chain/franchiser KFC as one of the spearheads, but the spread of industrialized poultry production in conjunction with the increased use of rapid weight gain broiler chickens has caused an increase in global chicken consumption. This has led to countries creating their own distinct forms of fried chicken, utilizing cutting methods, ingredients, and techniques found in their culture's culinary repertoires. Though while still chicken and still fried, those preparations are not fried chicken.

Annual Fried Chicken Eating World Championship

This section does not cite any references or sources.

Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2010)

With a prize of $30,000 and drawing in contestants and spectators from around the globe, the official 'Annual Fried Chicken Eating World Championship' was held for the first time in 2009 on July 25th.[citation needed] Held in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, the contest was won by a British participant who reportedly consumed 128 pieces of fried chicken in 1 minute.[citation needed] The contest is set to take place on the 28th of the same month next year.

Variants

Chicken fingers - also known as chicken tenders or chicken strips, this is one of the most common forms of fried chicken, generally pieces of chicken breast (sometimes with rib meat) cut into long strips, breaded or battered dipped, and deep fried.

Chicken nuggets

Buffalo wings, or the boneless buffalo fingers

Hot chicken - a pan-fried variant of fried chicken coated with lard and cayenne pepper paste

Popcorn chicken occasionally known as chicken bites or other similar terms, small morsels of boneless chicken, battered and fried, resulting in little nuggets that resemble popcorn.

Chicken patties breaded, fried patties of chicken meat used in sandwiches.

Chicken fries - chicken nuggets in the shape of french fries, popularized by the fast-food chains Burger King, KFC and Hungry Jack's. These may also be referred to as chicken sticks.

Chicken Chipees chicken meat chopped and shaped into chips coated with potato crumbs. Popular in Australia

Chicken Karaage

Chicken Katsu

Country Fried Chicken chicken meat that has been coated with flour or breaded,fried and served topped with country cream gravy.

Crispy fried chicken - a dish from the Cantonese cuisine of China

Korean fried chicken - fried chicken pieces flavoured with soy-garlic or Korean spicy sauce

Toriten - Japanese Tempura style fried chicken

A variant of fried chicken known as prawn paste chicken or shrimp paste chicken can be found in Hong Kong-style restaurants in Singapore and Malaysia. This variety is not dissimilar to the common deep-fried version, except that the breading mixture includes pureed shrimp and ginger juice, giving it a distinctive aroma and flavor.

See also

KFC

Mary Brown's

Chicken fried steak

John T. Edge

Austin Leslie

Fried chicken restaurants

Notes

^ "All About the History & Evolution of Fried Doughs". Home.comcast.net. http://home.comcast.net/~osoono/history.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-20.

^ "Southern fried". Enquirer.com. http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/08/01/tem_taste01lede.html. Retrieved 2009-06-20.

^ Lynne Olver. "history notes-meat". The Food Timeline. http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmeats.html#friedchicken. Retrieved 2009-06-20.

^ "Fritters The Congo Cookbook (African recipes)". www.congocookbook.com. http://www.congocookbook.com/snack_recipes/fritters.html. Retrieved 2009-06-20.

^ "Gather 'Round the Table: Race, Region, Identity and Food Preference in the American South". Allacademic.com. http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p100942_index.html. Retrieved 2009-06-20.

^ "Earl Ofari Hutchinson: Atlanta Falcon's Owner Should Apologize For His Foot-in-the-Mouth Racial Slur About Michael Vick". Huffingtonpost.com. 2007-12-13. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/earl-ofari-hutchinson/atlanta-falcons-owner-sh_b_76480.html. Retrieved 2009-06-20.

^ Hook, Sara Anne (October 26-27, 2007). "Zip Coon and Watermelons: The Perpetuation of Racial Stereotypes through Visual Imagery from the 19th and Early 20th Centuries" (PPT). 32nd Annual Great Lakes History Conference. http://www.iupui.edu/~facinfo/associatedean/Zip%20Coon%20and%20Watermelons.ppt. Retrieved 2009-06-20.

^ "Miami Ethnic Clash May Preview U.S. Where 'Minorities' Dominate". Bloomberg.com. 2008-08-19. http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&refer=home&sid=aa4r5EY42K1I. Retrieved 2009-06-20.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fried chicken

Austin Leslie's recipe in Food and Wine, adapted from John T. Edge's Fried Chicken

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