History of Fried Chicken with a Step by Step guide & Easy Recipe...

Down south, fried chicken is a religion, and people swear by their own recipes and family traditions. I am no authority in Southern hospitality, but will help you look deeper into the world of the amazing comfort food… Southern Fried Chicken! 

History
The Scots, and later Scottish immigrants to the southern United States, had a tradition of deep frying chicken in fat as far back as the middle ages, unlike their English counterparts who baked or boiled chicken. When it was introduced to the American South, fried chicken became a common staple. Later, Africans brought over on the slave trade, became cooks in many southern households and incorporated seasonings and spices that were absent in traditional Scottish cuisine, enriching the flavor. Since fried chicken traveled well in hot weather before refrigeration was commonplace, it gained further favor. In the south, Fried chicken continues to be among this region's top choices for "Sunday dinner." Holidays such as Independence Day and other gatherings often feature this dish as well.

In Asia, they have their own version of this dish, called Crispy fried chicken, a standard dish in the Cantonese cuisine of southern China and Hong Kong. The chicken is fried in such a way that the skin is extremely crunchy, but the white meat is relatively soft. The dish often served with two side dishes, a pepper salt and prawn crackers The pepper salt, colored dark white to gray, is dry-fried separately in a wok. Traditionally, it is to be eaten at night. It is also one of the traditional chicken dishes used in Chinese weddings and other Asian weddings.

Korean fried chicken or seasoned chicken is traditionally eaten as fast food, at bars, or as an after meal snack in Korea. It is not often consumed as a meal. It is prepared in a way that removes the fat from the skin, resulting in a crust described by Julia Moskin of The New York Times as a "thin, crackly and almost transparent". The chickens are usually seasoned with spices after being fried. In South Korea, chickens are relatively small, so Korean fried chicken restaurants fry whole chickens before hacking it into bits. In the United States, chickens tend to be larger and Korean restaurants find it more difficult to deal with large breasts and thighs. As a result, many Korean fried chicken restaurants in the United States usually serve wings and small drumsticks. Pickled radishes, beer, and soju are often served with Korean fried chicken.

So lets get to the how to's. Making fried chicken is a LOT of work (at least according to today’s 30 minute meal prep orientation). The preparation of the chicken, the breading of the chicken, the temperature regulation, the actual cooking, the cleanup of the cooker, the kitchen and you, but the work is worth it in the delight of biting into a fresh, warm, crunchy,  piece of perfectly golden, home-fried chicken. It's a food of love thing.

There are three main techniques for frying chickens: pan frying, deep frying and broasting;

Pan frying (or shallow frying) requires a frying pan of sturdy construction (cast iron works best) and a source of fat that does not fully immerse the chicken. Generally the fat is heated to a temperature hot enough to seal (without browning, at this point) the outside of the chicken pieces. Once the pieces have been added to the hot fat and sealed, the temperature is reduced. There is debate as to how often to turn the chicken pieces, with one camp arguing for often turning and even browning, and the other camp pushing for letting the pieces render skin side down and only turning when absolutely necessary. Once the chicken pieces are close to being done the temperature is raised and the pieces are browned to the desired color (some cooks add small amounts of butter at this point to enhance browning). The moisture from the chicken that sticks and browns on the bottom of the pan become the fonds required to make gravy. Chicken Maryland is made when the pan of chicken pieces, and fat, is placed in the oven to cook for a majority of the overall cooking time, basically "fried in the oven." 

Deep frying requires a deep fryer or other device in which the chicken pieces can be completely submerged in hot fat. The pieces are floured or battered using a batter of flour and liquid (and seasonings) mixed together. The batter can/may contain ingredients like eggs, milk, and leavening. The fat is heated in the deep fryer to the desired temperature. The pieces are added to the fat and a constant temperature is maintained throughout the cooking process.

Broaster

Broasting uses a pressure cooker to accelerate the process. The moisture inside the chicken becomes steam and increases the pressure in the cooker, lowering the cooking temperature needed. The steam also cooks the chicken through, but still allows the pieces to be moist and tender while maintaining a crisp coating. Fat is heated in a pressure cooker. Chicken pieces are then floured or battered and then placed in the hot fat. The lid is placed on the pressure cooker, and the chicken pieces are thus fried under pressure

Selecting the best chicken

The best size chicken to fry is a 4-pound fryer. Never fry any chicken larger than 5 pounds as it will take the pieces too long to cook. Chickens smaller than 3 pounds are too small for good fried chicken.Traditional fried chicken HAS SKIN. Skinless fried chicken is a weird invention of those who think that it makes for a lower-fat chicken (and what are those people doing eating Fried Chicken in the first place?) The skin is necessary to provide the support for the breading, and to add that element of 'crisp' that is the goal of the great chicken fryer. I also think that the skin actually helps keep the chicken meat lower in fat as it serves to shield the meat from the fat.

Follow these steps below to help you along the way:

Marinating: Some say that marinating or soaking the chicken in a brine or buttermilk for 30 mins to a few hours can increase tenderness and develop great flavor profiles.

Coating: Apply different coatings and coating techniques. Try dipping the chicken in milk, then flour, then milk, and then the flour again. Some cast-iron cooks dip it in a milk-egg mixture and then dredge it in flour. Some don't use flour at all and cover it with cracker crumbs, potato flakes, or cornmeal.

Air Drying: After you coat your chicken, let it air-dry. Air-drying your chicken for 20 minutes to a half hour after it has been coated lets the coating firm up and produces a crispier crust.

Seasoning: Use plain old salt and pepper or create special seasoning mixes. You may want to season the flour that you dredge the chicken through; you can also season the chicken itself. Some people swear that paprika enhances the flavor; others claim it's just there for color.

Cooking: The real secret to the ultimate in comfort food, Southern Fried Chicken, isn't in the recipe; it's in the cooking. Properly pan-fried chicken is tender and moist (not greasy) on the inside and golden brown and crispy on the outside. Keep your oil very hot. To make sure that your chicken doesn't get greasy, you want the oil hot enough (375 degrees Fahrenheit) that the water in the chicken stays above the boiling point during frying. The force of the steam leaving the chicken keeps the oil from being absorbed. The hot oil also makes the outside wonderfully crispy.

Some tips for keeping the oil at the temperature you want are as follows:

• Use peanut oil, which has a hotter smoking point than vegetable oils or shortenings.

• Allow the chicken to come almost to room temperature before you cook it so that when you put it into the hot oil, it doesn't reduce the oil temperature as much as really cold chicken would.

• Don't overcrowd the chicken in the pan. Putting too many pieces in the pan causes the temperature to drop and takes it longer to heat up again. It can also cause the chicken to steam as opposed to fry.

• Use a deep-sided cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven and an iron cover. Cast iron is the cook's best friend when pan-frying. It absorbs heat evenly, eliminating hot spots and its ability to retain heat keeps the temperature of the oil as even as possible.

• Brown the chicken quickly to seal in the juices. After the initial browning, reduce the heat to allow the chicken to cook through without drying. Then return the heat to medium-high to re-crisp it before you remove it from the pan.

• Use tongs to turn and move the chicken. Tongs won't pierce the chicken and let the juice escape.

• Drain fried chicken on a paper towel and then place it on a metal wire cooling rack in a warm oven. This simple step keeps your cooked chicken crisp and warm. After all, what good is a crispier crust if it just gets soggy and cold while sitting in a puddle of oil?

• Serving: Make sure its crisp, hot, and you have a napkin handy! It's common to serve fried chicken with a creamy gravy, or a kicked up hot sauce. 

Simple Southern Fried Chicken
Make 8 Pieces of Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Ingredients

For the marinade:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp ground dried herbs, or poultry seasoning
2 cups buttermilk
3 1/2 pound chicken, cut in 8 pieces

For the seasoned flour:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1-2 qt. Vegetable or Peanut oil (enough to fill a large cast iron pan 1/2 way)

Method
Add the marinade ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Add the chicken parts and toss to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the chicken is submerged. Refrigerate for 6 hours or more.

Mix together the seasoned flour ingredients in a large baking dish. Drain the chicken pieces and toss into the flour. Toss the chicken and coat completely with the flour mixture. Shake off and place on a rack and let dry for at least 1/2 hour before frying.

Fill a cast iron skillet halfway up with oil and heat to about 375 degrees F. Carefully add the chicken, leaving at least 2 inches between pieces and fry for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown, reaching and internal temperature of 180 degrees F. Allow to drain on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serve with smashed potatoes, brown gravy and some corn on the cob. And remember, be sure that the love and effort you put into the preparation carries through to the plate and whatever your cooking pleasure, be it baked or fried, I hope these simple steps help you wow your friends and family...

Bon Appetit

Lou
Sources:  Daniel Greene/Flickr, cooks.tuckawaytv.com, wkipedia.org, norecipes.com,
whatsfordinner.net

The Story of Stilton

Long known as “The King of Cheeses,” blue Stilton is one of a handful of British cheeses granted the status of a “protected designation origin” (PDO) by the European Commission. Only cheese produced in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire and made according to a strict code may be
called Stilton. There are just six dairies licensed to make Stilton.

To be called Stilton, each cheese must:
Be made only in the three counties from local milk which is pasteurized before use Be made only in a traditional cylindrical shape Be allowed to form its own crust or coat Be un-pressed Have delicate blue veins radiating from the center Have a taste profile typical of Stilton

How did it get its name?
Stilton is still made in much the same way as it was when Daniel Defoe, writing in his “Tour through England & Wales” in 1727, remarked that he “...passed through Stilton, a town famous for cheese." And yet, Stilton was never made in the town of Stilton!

Stilton is situated about 80 miles north of London on the old Great North Road. In the 18th century, the town was a staging post for coaches travelling from London to York. Horses would be changed and travellers served light refreshments at one of the hostelries in the town. Cooper Thornhill, an East Midlands entrepreneur, was landlord at the famous Bell Inn and it was he who introduced these travellers to a soft, creamy, blue veined cheese which subsequently took its name from the town. Thornhill had brought the cheese from a farmer’s wife by the name of Frances Pawlett who lived near Melton Mowbray. The rest, they say, is history!

How is Stilton made?
Early each morning fresh pasteurized milk is fed into an open vat to which acid forming bacteria (starter cultures), a milk clotting agent (such as rennet) and “penicillium roqueforti” (blue mould spores) are added. Once the curds have formed, the whey is removed and the curds allowed to drain overnight.

The following morning, the curd is then cut into blocks to allow further drainage before being milled and salted. Each cheese requires about 24 lb of salted curd that is fed into cylindrical moulds. The moulds are then placed on boards and turned daily to allow natural drainage for 5 or 6 days. This ensures an even distribution of moisture throughout the cheese so that, as the cheese is never pressed, it creates the flaky, open texture required for the important blueing stage.

After 5 or 6 days, the cylinders are removed and the coat of each cheese is sealed by smoothing or wrapping to prevent any air entering the inside of the cheese. The cheese is then transferred to the store where temperature and humidity are carefully controlled. Each cheese is turned regularly during this ripening period. At about 6 weeks, the cheese is forming the traditional Stilton crust and it is then ready for piercing with stainless steel needles. This allows air to enter the body of the cheese and create the magical blue veins associated with Stilton.

At about 9 weeks of age, by which time each cheese now weighs about 17 lbs, the cheese is ready to be sold. But before this happens every cheese must be graded using a cheese iron. The iron is used to bore into the cheese and extract a plug of cheese. By visual inspection and by smell the grader can determine whether the cheese is up to the mark and able to be sold as Stilton. Cheese that is not up to the mark will be sold as “blue cheese.”

At this age, Stilton is still quite crumbly and has a slightly acidic taste. Some customers prefer a more mature cheese and after a further 5 or 6 weeks it will have a smoother, almost buttery texture, with a more rounded mellow flavor.

The Stilton Cheesemakers' Association (SCMA
The SCMA was formed in 1936 to represent the interests of the Stilton manufacturers and to raise standards. Today the SCMA has those same objectives but is also responsible for:

• Promoting Stilton world-wide
• Managing the trade mark
• Ensuring that standards are maintained at all licensed dairies.

Stilton Cheese Makers AssociationThe SCMA was granted a certification trademark for Stilton in 1966 and is still the only British cheese so accredited. This meant that the good name of Stilton was protected and that imitations produced other than in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire could not be sold under the Stilton brand.

In 1996, the SCMA succeeded in achieving “Protected Designation of origin” status for Blue Stilton from the European Commission. Whereas certification trademarks had to be separately applied for in each EU country, the PDO effectively gave Stilton protection from imitation across the whole of the EU.

The SCMA is responsible with the relevant government authorities for ensuring correct use of the Stilton name and in recent years action been taken against traders, manufacturers and retailers in the UK and elsewhere who have attempted to pass off ineligible cheese as Stilton.

Facts and Figures
There are just 7 dairies in the world licensed to make Blue Stilton cheese Stilton is a “protected name” cheese and by law can only be made in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire It takes 136 pints milk to make one 17 lb Stilton cheese Stilton takes its name from the village of the same name in Cambridgeshire although the cheese has never been made there Over 1 million Stilton cheeses are made each yearMore than 10% of output is exported to some 40 countries world-wide Every cheese is graded before leaving the dairy to ensure only cheese of the highest quality is marketed under the Stilton name.
 White Stilton is also a protected name cheese and is made in a similar way to its blue cousin - except that no mold spores are added and the cheese would be sold at about 4 weeks of age. It is a crumbly, creamy, open textures cheese and is now extensively used as a base for blending with apricot, ginger and citrus or vine fruits to create unique dessert cheeses.

Using Blue Stilton
Blue Stilton is a versatile and easy to use ingredient in a variety of starters and main courses - a little goes a long way. Like all good cheeses Blue Stilton is best served at room temperature or 68 degrees F. Blue Stilton is a must for any cheese board - serve with crackers or traditional plum loaf. Unlike most cheeses, Blue Stilton may be frozen. Wrap in several layers of cling film and a layer of foil and keep in freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and allow to reach room temperature before serving. Stilton is at its best eaten by itself with a glass of Port or a full-bodied red wine, such as Darioush Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon.

A Taste of Autumn: Butternut Squash & Apple Cider Bisque & Short Rib Bourguignonne

Autumn, or Fall, is one of my favorite times of year. Great produce and bounty, unique and special to this harvest season abound and comfort is the goal of many chefs and recipes. One of my favorite foods from the fall harvest is Butternut Squash. It's versatile and can really lend itself to many applications and recipes. This bisque is rich, robust, hearty and will warm your insides. Autumn is also a great time for heart dishes  stews and stocks. Following the bisque recipe. is another great recipe for Short Ribs using the braising technique.

Butternut Squash & Apple Cider Bisque
Servings: 16, Yield: 1gallon

Ingredients
1yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 oz. garlic cloves, whole
3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 oz.brown sugar
12 fluid ounces Vermont apple cider
38 fluid ounces vegetable stock
10 fluid ounces heavy cream
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
2 oz. butter, melted
1 fluid ounce cider vinegar

Method
Saute onion and garlic in melted butter until onions are soft. Add butternut squash, brown sugar, apple cider, vegetable stock, cider vinegar and spices. Bring to a boil and cook until squash is tender. Puree with blender while adding heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Short Ribs Bourguignonne
Ingredients
**Preheat oven to 350 to 375 degrees F.

Rub:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 to 4 pounds beef short ribs, cut into thirds
3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup bacon strips, diced
2 large white onions, sliced
4 shallots, quartered
1 pound mushrooms
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
2 cups red wine or half bottle
4 cups beef stock or to cover

Method
Combine flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and black pepper in a bowl. Add the short ribs, coating them lightly in the flour mixture.

In a large Dutch oven or deep oven-proof pot over medium heat, melt butter until golden. Add the ribs, shaking off any excess flour. Sear the meat until brown, moving the ribs around covering them with the butter. In the same pot, saute the bacon for 2 to 3 minutes then add the onions, shallots, mushrooms, celery and carrots and saute until golden. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, adding a little at a time.

Let reduce over high heat for 1 minute. Add the rest of the wine and beef stock, and bring to a simmer. Once the liquid has come to a simmer, cover, and cook in the oven for 2 to 3 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Bon Appetit

Lou