Deep-Fried Heaven
Something about dipping food into hot oil just fascinates our culture. Carnival folk have deep-fried everything from pickles to Snickers bars and even salads (which kind of defeats the purpose of eating vegetables, if you ask me). So what is it about fried food that gets everybody drooling? To be honest, I don’t know, but it’s high time I stop relying on fast-food joints and carnies to do it for me.
A lot of people are intimidated by deep-frying at home, but it’s not nearly as scary as it seems. You just need the right tools. Of course, a deep-frying machine would be ideal, but not many of us have that luxury, so a 12” deep stock pot will work fine. Just make sure it’s made of metal and has no Teflon or other non-stick surface on the inside. You also need a candy thermometer. You can find them at WalMart for under $3. Just make sure the gauge on the side goes up to 375 or 400 degrees. Finally, you need a metal skimmer spoon. These have wide bowls with holes in them (they look a lot like a strainer). It MUST be metal; plastic will—quite obviously—melt.
Finally, there’s the question of oil. I usually use canola oil, which is a little pricier than your regular vegetable oil (which is actually an assortment of different kinds of oils). If you want to go all-out, you can get peanut or sunflower seed oil, but really, any of these will work. Vegetable and canola oil are the most taste-neutral. You need 2-3 quarts of oil, or enough to cover the bottom of the stock pot by three inches.
For the chicken bites, you will need:
- 1 medium-sized chicken breast
- 1 large egg
- splash of milk (no more than a few tbsp)
- ¾ cup plain breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- dash of salt and pepper
For the French fries, you will need:
- 1 large Russet potato or two small ones
- equal parts paprika, garlic powder and onion powder
- dash of salt, pepper and sugar
Start by preheating your oil. Keep the stove on medium heat and make sure the tip of the candy thermometer is fully submerged in the cold oil. Most candy thermometers come with a clip, so you can just clip it to the side of the pot—just make sure the glass part of the thermometer doesn’t touch the bottom or sides of the pot.
While the oil is heating, cut the potatoes into sticks. For a great video on cutting a potato into French fries, click here. After you’ve sliced your potatoes, fill a large bowl with cold water and leave them in the bowl to soak. This removes some of the starch so they’ll fry better. While the potatoes are soaking, mix the French fry seasonings in a small bowl and set it aside.
Next, get your chicken breading station ready. Mix the milk and egg well in one bowl, and the flour, bread crumbs and seasonings in another. Set the two aside for now. Drain and rinse the raw French fries, then put them on a paper towel to dry. While they’re drying, cut the chicken breast into small cubes. Make sure they’re all the same size, so they’ll cook evenly.
Once the oil reaches 350 degrees, you can drop in the French fries. Fry them in two batches, so they don’t stick together. When you add the fries, the oil temperature will drop. Make sure it stays above 325 degrees, or the fries will get soggy. It will take about three to four minutes for the fries to cook; they’re done when they’re golden on the outside. Remove them from the pot with your skimmer, and set on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil. While the second batch is cooking, sprinkle the first with your seasoning mix.
Once the fries are done, you can make the chicken. Put all of the chicken cubes into the egg and milk mixture, then quickly roll them in the bread crumb mixture and immediately drop into the hot oil (note: you may have to wait a few minutes before you start this step, for the oil to get back up to 350 degrees). If you don’t put it into the oil right away, the bread crumbs will get soggy and your chicken won’t fry well. It takes less than two minutes for these small pieces of chicken to fry; you’ll know they’re done when the outside starts to turn dark golden brown. You can put all of the chicken into the pot at once, rather than in batches like with the fries.
When the chicken’s cooked, scoop it out with your skimmer and transfer to a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Serve chicken and fries immediately.
Note: the oil can (and should) be used more than once. Just wait for it to cool completely, then pour it through a fine mesh strainer (to remove the impurities) into a plastic, re-sealable container. Store in a cool, dark place for up to three weeks. Use as many as four or five times, if you like. When you’re done, pour it into an empty milk or orange juice container and throw it away—DO NOT pour it down your sink, or your landlord just might kill you.
Tags: chicken, College Kitchen, Emma Frankart, fries