Cooking Class with Chef Ivan Flowers Lesson 31 - Fried Chicken

Last week you learned how to make slow-braised short ribs. With the start of spring and my mind (and stomach) already on those upcoming summer picnics, I just had to teach you how to make perfectly fried chicken this week. There really isn’t much that is better than biting into a piece of great fried chicken. The combination of the crispy skin and juicy, flavorful meat is, well, intoxicating.

My technique for perfectly fried chicken starts with a brine, so please plan to start this the day BEFORE you will actually fry the chicken and eat it. The following amounts will feed between six and ten people. For the brining part of this recipe, you will need: six chicken legs, six chicken thighs, six chicken breasts, two quarts buttermilk, one cup hot sauce (whatever is your favorite), six peeled and smashed cloves of garlic, two sprigs of rosemary, four sprigs of thyme and a large bowl that is big enough to have all the chicken submerged in the liquid.

Why do we brine? Brining forces water and flavor into the meat which results in tons of flavor and juices once it is cooked and the lactic acid in the buttermilk acts as a tenderizer on the chicken.

Now, to brine the chicken, combine all the above ingredients in a bowl and put all the chicken in, making sure that every piece is in the brine. Cover and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The next day remove the chicken, pat it dry and let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature before you fry it. This helps the chicken thoroughly cook. Please, throw out the brine, it is not re-usable.

Before I continue, I want to say that I’m going to give you two options with this chicken. The first will be to make traditional fried chicken; the second will be to serve that just fried chicken, lightly glazed in a Spiced Mango sauce. So as you read this class, you can decide which method you would like to utilize.

Now, let’s start frying the chicken. For this part of the recipe you will need:

• a large bowl
• a large cast iron skillet
• oil thermometer
• meat thermometer
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup corn starch
• canola oil
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon coriander
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• ½ tablespoon pepper

If you are going to serve the chicken without the glaze, please have baking sheets lined with paper towels to place the just fried chicken on, if you are going to glaze it (recipe to follow) you will want to place the hot chicken into a bowl with the glaze. Why do you use corn starch? Because the corn starch is more finely milled, it lightens the flour and results in a crispier, airier crust.

So, you have brined, patted and let the chicken sit for 30 minutes. Now, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch and spices. Put the chicken into the flour mixture a few pieces at a time, making sure they are evenly coated. Make sure you shake off any excess flour. You want a nice light coating. Place the floured chicken on a plate. Do not put any chicken pieces on top of each other; this will result in an uneven coating of flour.

Next, put canola oil into a large cast iron skillet until the oil goes half way up the pan. Put the pan over medium-high heat with the oil thermometer in the pan. When the temperature hits 350 degrees, you are ready to fry. Put in no more than two legs, two breasts and two thighs for each round of frying. Why? Because if you over crowd the pan with chicken, the temperature of the oil will drop and that means greasy and soggy instead of crisp and juicy.

Cook each side of the chicken for six minutes. Check the chicken with your meat thermometer; it needs to be at 160 degrees internally. If you are doing the traditional method, place the fried chicken on the paper towels and immediately salt and pepper. You do this as it comes right out of the oil because that hot oil will make those seasonings stick. That’s it, perfectly fried chicken!

Okay, if you want that fried chicken in a spiced mango sauce, you do all the same steps, except when the chicken comes out of the pan; it goes right into a bowl with the glaze. For the glaze you will need:

• a blender
• a large bowl
• 2mangos diced
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Sriracha
• 1 small Fresno chili (seeds & ribs removed)
• 1 teaspoon garlic puree (equal parts garlic & canola oil blended together)
• juice of one lemon
• ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
• ¼ cup melted unsalted butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and then toss the hot chicken in this glaze as it comes out of the oil. Remember this is the same technique you used to coat the chicken wings. Finally, I like this chicken with some finely chopped cilantro sprinkled on top.

So there you have it, perfectly fried chicken two ways. This chicken is fabulous hot, but it is even good cold. Trust me, if there is any leftover, you will be at the fridge at two in the morning, eating this chicken!

As with any technique or recipe, the most important component is the cook’s heart. The heart is what creates delicious flavor.

Chef Ivan Flowers brings 25 years of fine cuisine experience to Top of The Market, San Diego. Prior to becoming Executive Chef at Top of The Market, Chef Flowers owned Fournos restaurant in Sedona, Arizona, named a top 25 restaurant in Arizona. He was also Executive Chef at L’Auberge de Sedona, the AAA Four-Diamond, Four Star award winning restaurant. Flowers has created extraordinary cuisine for some of the finest restaurants in Arizona, including T. Cooks at Scottsdale's Royal Palms Resort and the Phoenician's Mary Elaine's and Different Pointe of View.

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