Fried Chicken

[WhiteRose]

No really, this IS about fried chicken.

Just got back from the grocery store (one of my least favorite tasks), and was thinking about meat and how healthy it really is or isn't. This isn't about eating meat vs. not eating meat, I just have a question about the quality of cooked meat that I'm hoping someone can answer.

I know there are plenty of healthy ways to cook chicken, and I know you can still buy range-fed chicken (at higher costs usually), but for the sake of a one on one comparison, I want to compare the average fried chicken eaten 100 years ago (skin on, deep fried) to the average fried chicken eaten today (skin on, deep fried).

100 years ago, the chicken was raised in the barnyard, ran around, was mostly muscle, and had little fat. However it was fried in lard. Today chickens are penned up in little cages where they can barely move and force-fed all kinds of stuff to make them bigger and juicier, and they also have a ton of fat in them, though generally they're fried in "better" oils. So which one is actually better for you?

And my second question is simply, if you do "fry" chicken (this can include oven-fried), what's your favorite recipe? I've never actually fried chicken myself, but I'm always looking for new recipes.

Thanks!

 

[unclej]

you probably answered your own question about which was healthier...not much difference between now and then...but here's the way i do it....

in one medium bowl break an egg or two and add just a little milk to thin it up and beat for a second or two....

in another medium bowl put some flower...a cup and a half or so for a whole chicken....add about a table spoon or a little more of tony chachere's original creole seasoning...if that's not available paul prudhome's or something similar..blend together well...

skin on, skin off is up to you...i skin mine...chicken that is

dip the chicken into the egg mixture and drop in the flower until all pieces are coated...then do it again...egg, flower...let it sit on a plate for a minute or two...

in a cast iron skillet...ok, teflon if you're cookware challenged...heat about an inch of the oil of your choice...get it good and hot over a medium high fire...put the chicken in for about a minute and then turn the fire down to medium or medium low and turn the chicken over...this is forming a crusty seal to keep the juices in...

with the fire on medium or medium low you are actually boiling the chicken in the oil and cooking it thouroughly...when the crust is medium to dark brown all over remove to a paper towell lined bowl and let sit for a few minutes before biting into it...trust me on this...

goes best with mashed potatos, skin on and a little lumpy, brown gravy made with a little of the left over oil and as much of the crust that's left in the bottom of the skillet as you can save...add some corn on the cob, brown and serve roles, fresh iced tea, a thick sliced home grown tomato and "come and get me jesus it just ain't gonna get any better'n this"

 

[morninggirl5]

i'm wondering what it would cost to get unclej to cook Sunday dinner at my house


That sounds like a perfect meal (well, except i'd prefer white gravy)

 

[Monazwx]

Whatever the cost, I'll match and double it.

You have no idea what campus food on a Sunday is like.

 

[morninggirl5]

I'm not so old that i don't remember those horrible Sundays when all the "good" campus places were closed.

I'll let you have unclej for Sunday dinner if i can have dibs on Monday night.

 

[Monazwx]

Deal!

 

[alvin462]

Sunday dinner

Here is an idea Mona, and Morniggirl . Just give directions and I will take you both to a nice reasturant.

 

[lobito]

If I had my Grandmothers recipe, I'd give it to you, in exchange for some fried chicken. Fair deal? Her's was the best homemade chicken I ever ate.

Try foodtv.com, they always have great recipes there.

Lo

 

[unclej]

now alvin...don't be tryin' to horn in on my action here...these ladies need home cookin'...and ladies you don't have to argue over me...rest assured there's plenty [chicken] to go around..and if you'd rather i can cook health food too...like chicken fried steak or a brisket that's been cooked over some mesquite or pecan for 15-16 hours...when we're finished eating we can grab some brews and a couple of tubes and go float in the river for a while...y'all come on down now, hear...

 

[alvin462]

OK Uncle maybe Mona will bring some of her girlfriends along and we can have a big party . Maybe Morninggirl has some friends. Iwill make a road trip and pick them up .

 

[Monazwx]

*sitting up*

Will get dressed and gather the girls together. Hell, we could all use a party and a home-cooked meal.

I love road trips, especially when the company's as good as Alvin and UncleJ!

 

[DannyBoyUK]

Much easier to just amble down to KFC !

 

[unclej]

oh, danny boy....you have to understand that easy isn't part of the equation when it comes to food, friends, partyin' and ROAD TRIPS...as far as that goes, it's nearly 30 miles from where i live to the nearest KFC anyway...so you might as well hop a little ole plane and join in the fun...

 

[WhiteRose]

Thanks, unclej! I might have to try the cajun seasonings, I love spicy. For a short while years ago, KFC was selling honey-bbq skinless white meat chicken pieces. That stuff was SO good, and I'm sorry they stopped selling it here.

Usually when I do chicken, I buy the skinless boneless breasts just because they're so easy to work with and there's so much you can do with them. I've sauteed them prior to finishing them off in different ways, but I've never done the deep frying thing. I'm paranoid about hot oil splattering.

 

[unclej]

you definitely don't want to do it nekid...trust me on this...

 

[SouthernMale]

you probably answered your own question about which was healthier...not much difference between now and then...but here's the way i do it....

in one medium bowl break an egg or two and add just a little milk to thin it up and beat for a second or two....

in another medium bowl put some flower...a cup and a half or so for a whole chicken....add about a table spoon or a little more of tony chachere's original creole seasoning...if that's not available paul prudhome's or something similar..blend together well...

skin on, skin off is up to you...i skin mine...chicken that is

dip the chicken into the egg mixture and drop in the flower until all pieces are coated...then do it again...egg, flower...let it sit on a plate for a minute or two...

in a cast iron skillet...ok, teflon if you're cookware challenged...heat about an inch of the oil of your choice...get it good and hot over a medium high fire...put the chicken in for about a minute and then turn the fire down to medium or medium low and turn the chicken over...this is forming a crusty seal to keep the juices in...

with the fire on medium or medium low you are actually boiling the chicken in the oil and cooking it thouroughly...when the crust is medium to dark brown all over remove to a paper towell lined bowl and let sit for a few minutes before biting into it...trust me on this...

goes best with mashed potatos, skin on and a little lumpy, brown gravy made with a little of the left over oil and as much of the crust that's left in the bottom of the skillet as you can save...add some corn on the cob, brown and serve roles, fresh iced tea, a thick sliced home grown tomato and "come and get me jesus it just ain't gonna get any better'n this"

Fantastic unclej! They can use teflon if they must but good fried chicken and good cornbread should be cocked in an iron skillet.

Love the mashed potatoes with the skin on. If you've never done it try adding some fresh elephant gralic bulbs when you cook the potatoes and use sour cream instead of milk.

 

[SXCRgirl]

Okay unclej, you just made me hungry. Yummmm. I have to try that recipe soon! Thanks!

 

[dreamer]

you probably answered your own question about which was healthier...not much difference between now and then...but here's the way i do it....

in one medium bowl break an egg or two and add just a little milk to thin it up and beat for a second or two....

in another medium bowl put some flower...a cup and a half or so for a whole chicken....add about a table spoon or a little more of tony chachere's original creole seasoning...if that's not available paul prudhome's or something similar..blend together well...

skin on, skin off is up to you...i skin mine...chicken that is

dip the chicken into the egg mixture and drop in the flower until all pieces are coated...then do it again...egg, flower...let it sit on a plate for a minute or two...

in a cast iron skillet...ok, teflon if you're cookware challenged...heat about an inch of the oil of your choice...get it good and hot over a medium high fire...put the chicken in for about a minute and then turn the fire down to medium or medium low and turn the chicken over...this is forming a crusty seal to keep the juices in...

with the fire on medium or medium low you are actually boiling the chicken in the oil and cooking it thouroughly...when the crust is medium to dark brown all over remove to a paper towell lined bowl and let sit for a few minutes before biting into it...trust me on this...

goes best with mashed potatos, skin on and a little lumpy, brown gravy made with a little of the left over oil and as much of the crust that's left in the bottom of the skillet as you can save...add some corn on the cob, brown and serve roles, fresh iced tea, a thick sliced home grown tomato and "come and get me jesus it just ain't gonna get any better'n this"

I leave the skin on, and I've not tried this tony guys seasoning. I have on occasion used Pauls though pretty good stuff. I also like a nice tomato, cucumber, and onion salad on the side, you know the one that has soaked in a good vinegar all nite....uummmm yummy!

Oh, and lemonade over iced tea. Not much of a tea drinker here.

GOOD EATIN!

 

[WhiteRose]

I also like a nice tomato, cucumber, and onion salad on the side, you know the one that has soaked in a good vinegar all nite....uummmm yummy!

When my dad was going through a spell of working late, my mom would wait to eat dinner with him, so I'd cook early for my brother and me then leave the rest for my parents when they ate. One morning before school I made a huge bowl of this same salad thinking it'd be great for dinner that night, only my brother came home from school and ate the whole thing before anyone else got home He's such a brat. And he still owes me a salad.

 

[unclej]

i'll have to try the garlic and sour cream in the potatos...sounds great...

 

[morninggirl5]

Thanks to this thread, i had fried chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner.


I add garlic and sour cream in my mashed potatoes (and diced onions and green peppers) when i'm not having gravy with them.

 

[WhiteRose]

Baked sweet potatoes (skin on, no foil, just forked a couple of times and placed on the rack in the oven) served with a little sour cream or butter is a nice alternative to regular potatoes (which I prefer skin on also). And brine-packed baked potatoes are divine.

Fresh lemon squeezed onto warm fried chicken is another way to really bring out the flavors, and most things I cook have garlic in them and/or come out very spicy.

 

[Sillyman]

I love fried chicken to death, but vegetarians have ruined the experience for me. I won't go into details here, but I will say chicken cooked a hundred years ago was probably a mite healthier. My diet also precludes meat of all kinds now so I'm out in the cold on this one. I used to eat fried chicken by the bucket, and I mean 28 pieces of KFC in one sitting by myself.

 

[freakygirl]

unclej-One real quick question

What kind of flower do you use? pansies? roses? daisies? or does it matter


I'm just kidding with you.. would you be interested in a little company next Sunday?

 

[unclej]

ok, busted...i had to go back and look at what i had written and i did didn't i...now i'm so embarrased that i may never cook again...

wait, did you say this sunday...ok, i can be over it by then...come on down....