Has anyone used Coconut Oil to fry? I’m a soapmaker so I have a bit of a “selection” of oils at home
Only if you want your fried chicken to taste like coconut. I would avoid it. I use a neutral oil.
I fry chicken fairly often. I use a large Le Creuset pan with a probe thermometer to monitor the heat. I also have the benefit of a large powerful hood that vents externally so no issue with odors.
I prefer Korean style fried chicken. The double fry and starch rather than flour crust gives it a shatteringly crispy coat. Even at room temperature it’s crispy. With a well seasoned coating, I find that there’s often no need to coat with a sauce.
But being a boy of the south, southern style fried chicken is an amazing thing. I probably alternate between the two styles equally.
Kara age is a whole nother kettle of chicken. Takes more planning as the recipe I like requires a marinade for a day. Also all the deboning of the chicken thighs takes a while versus a simple breakdown of a chicken into parts.
Way back when the Momofuku restaurants were still operating, there was a large format dinner where they served both southern and Korean style fried chicken. That was a great group dinner.
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Remembering the old days when we’d go out to eat, the fried chicken on most menus would have the disclaimer that expect a 20-30 minute wait, meaning freshly fried to or. I haven’t seen that in quite a while but Southern Oregon is not really fried chicken heaven.
When someone asks on our local food board, the standard reply is either KFC or a Supermarket
roasted chicken, neither of which has to do with real fried chicken.
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That’s like asking me which of my kids is my favorite. I don’t recall having any fried chicken in any style that I did not enjoy. My favorite is whatever I happen to be eating at the time. With the unreasonable and impossible provision that I choose one type to eat to the exclusion of all others for the rest of my life, though, I’d have to with Chinese-style garlic fried chicken. My salivary glands are overflowing now just thinking about it.
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Thank you ! I was thinking of trying the Korean style without sauce so that’s good to know. As far as COCONUT oil, mine is refined so is actually neutral. No coconut flavor. I’ll try, since I have alot of it and report back.
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Maybe not for fried chicken, but I’ve noticed in France those lovely rotisseries that drop in the potatoes below. I’d take that over KFC any day o’ dah week.
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Good advise. I think a thermometer might also help. Oil temp and time mean a lot to deep and pan frying.
I also think fried chicken when I find buttermilk cheap. It’s the perfect chicken marinade. I’ll leave the chicken in there for 5-6 days before frying. Sucks up a lotta fridge space, though. One fool, it was nice and brisk, so I left the container with it on a cabinet on my back porch. Stinkin coon got to it. Left me a note that said “REPEAT!”
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I remember reading in an old issue of (I think) Gourmet- “Fried chicken isn’t hard to make, it’s just messy”.
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agreed - it’s not “hard” - but it does take time.
the time required for Southern Fried Chicken was the factor behind KFC.
it took so long, the Colonel had to find a way to do it faster . . . hence the pressure cooker . . .
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If your goal is overcooked flabby skinned fried chicken. The beauty of crispy fried chicken cannot be found at KFC. Beauty here is really skin deep. Deep frying chicken takes no more time than any other method of cooking chicken. A giant pressure cooker fryer is a tool for industrial scale cooking. Give me Bonchon over the colonel any day. The real KFC - Korean fried chicken.
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TODAY is THE FRIED chicken day ! Using the Serious Eats Best Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe. Been in buttermilk brine since last night. It’s super hot so I am not planning on finishing in the oven as he suggests. I assume I can just cook in the fat until I get the recommended interior temps ?
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Yes.
you can, but depending on frying temp, it could over-cook on the outside before you get to temp in the middle.
oven finishing allows a lower temp to ‘soak through’ - same as the reported agony of frying at lower temps… things that take time often go in for a good bashing.
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UPDATE: In the end I used the Buttermilk Brined southern fried chicken from Serious Eats. I DID NOT finish in the oven but my chef friend I was (bravely) cooking for tested for doneness using the metal skewer against her skin test to feel the internal temperature. It worked a treat as the chicken came out perfect ! Very juicy, browned and very crispy . I used refined organic coconut oil, just enough for the chicken to be covered 3/4 of the way up in my dutch oven.
Thanks you all for your help and this was an interesting process reading all of your tips and hints ! Bon appetit !
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Congratulations! Looks like it came out perfectly — and on your first attempt (?) at that!
Brava!
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My favourite versions are Austrian and Southern.
I prefer to order it. 
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/buttermilk-fried-chicken-9541823.amp
Mary Brown’s for me.
Is Church’s worth trying?
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Sure.
I don’t think it’s anything really revelatory, but the fried chicken is juicier and meatier than KFC, but less seasoned (though some would say KFC is “salty” by comparison).
Their biscuits, however, are quite addicting. Like cocaine in a puck shape.
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Okay, will report back somewhere on HO.
I worked for a time in a Roy Rogers roast beef restaurant. Fried chicken was on the menu too, and they had a big deep pressure cooker for deep frying. The chicken always came out crispy and tender both. Not KFC, but it was beautiful stuff.
