Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Spicy Smoked Brined Fried (or not) Chicken

How's fried chicken for an all-American way to enjoy the added flavor we can offer here at Spice Traders? And since I can't, in good conscience, tell you to fry anything, I will offer alternatives for those of us who only enjoy fried chicken until we swallow all that grease, and immediately are filled with regret.

I couldn't resist the idea of my favorite spices and flavors paired with a 'fried' chicken goodness. Here in this beauty, are my very favorite darlings of the spice rack, Smoked Paprika and Chipotle Powder. I'm not a super spicy hot lover, so smoking the peppers makes my heart melt! So if you haven't met these two hotties, I'd love to arrange a date, maybe melded with some yummy fried (or not) chicken!
http://www.nlrockrecipes.com

The other secret of this recipe, is the brine step. It takes 2 days of planning ahead, but it is what MAKES this recipe incredible, fully saturating the entire depth of the chicken with flavor, and that's what we want, right? Also, make sure you have a mostly full bottle of Tabasco sauce, because this recipe is gonna use most of it!

Smoked Brined Fried (or not) Chicken Fantastic

For the chicken:
Begin with one large chicken, about 3 1/2 to 4 lbs OR  equivalent weight in already chopped bone-in, skin-on pieces of chicken

For the Brine:
2 quarts water
1/4 c kosher salt
1/4 c brown sugar
2 Tbs honey or maple syrup

Stir brine ingredients until salt and sugar are dissolved, then add:

3 Tbs STM black peppercorns, crushed slightly
8 cloves garlic OR 3 tsp STM minced garlic
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c Tabasco Sauce (more or less, depending on the true value of your soul, kidding! I'm a wuss)

After 48 hours, remove the chicken from the brine mixture. Toss in the flour and spice dredge, which is where the rest of the magic happens.

For the Dredge:
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp STM black peppercorns, ground
3 heaping Tbs STM smoked paprika
2 heaping Tbs STM chipotle powder

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until very well combined. Add the brined chicken pieces, toss well, and press the chicken pieces into the flour. Dredge with your palms to get good contact with the meat. Let stand for ten minutes (Alton Brown would be so proud) then toss again and press down with your palms again. Now it's time to warm up your oil.

In a 12" cast iron skillet, heat 1 inch oil (corn, canola, or my fave healthy alternative, coconut) with 1/2 c real dairy butter until it reaches 350F degrees. Just below medium heat works well, but use a thermometer to be sure. A cast iron skillet is the best for fried chicken. Be extra careful to regulate the eat properly if using anything other than cast iron. Even cooking is essential.

Drop the dredged chicken pieces into the hot oil/butter mix and cook for approximately 35-40 minutes depending on the size of your chicken pieces, turning at least once halfway through the cooking time. A good tip is to start with dark pieces and add the breasts about 10-15 min into the cooking time because white meat will cook faster. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure that the largest pieces have reached an internal temp of 165F degrees, the perfect temp for fried chicken. The chicken should be a beautiful golden brown when it comes out of the oil. Let it rest on a wire rack to drain for 5 minutes before serving.

The NOT fried version:

Brine the chicken the same as above, but instead of using the flour dredge and frying, pick up here after the brine.

For the crispy coating of your Un-Fried chicken:

1 1/2 c corn flakes OR panko bread crumbs, available in most grocery stores and in some bulk foods
1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp STM black peppercorns, ground
3 heaping Tbs STM smoked paprika
2 heaping Tbs STM chipotle powder

Dredge your drained chicken pieces in the corn flake/bread crumb coating. Arrange evenly on a baking sheet, with rack, and lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake in a 400F degree oven for 30-40 minutes, turning each piece several times during the cooking time to ensure even cooking. Remove when cooked thoroughly, serve immediately. Frolic in ecstasy because your delicious chicken was not deep fried, and enjoy past the first bite, grease free!


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