How do you get really, really crispy fried chicken? Try these simple frying tips. These will work on your favorite chicken drumsticks or just about anything you want to fry, from fish to porkchops.
Keep it Hot
Check that your cooking oil is just the right temperature before frying. If you happen to have a deep-fry thermometer, the oil should be around 365°F, according to Joy of Cooking.
Test the oil
Test the oil with a small piece of food first, let’s say half a French fry. Gently drop it into the oil. If the oil starts to bubble furiously and noisily, then you’re ready to fry. But if the French fry just floats quietly in the oil, it’s not hot enough yet and your French fry will just end up soggy, not crunchy.
Don’t heat up your oil for too long. It’ll get too hot and start to smoke. You’ll just end up with overbrowned food that’s still uncooked inside. Lower or turn off the heat and wait for the oil to cool down.
Don’t Overcrowd
Don’t fill up your pot with too much food to be fried. This will just lower the temperature of the oil and lead to soggier food. After each batch is fried, the temperature of the oil naturally goes down. So wait for the oil to heat up again before adding the next batch.
Pat it Dry
Keep the food you fry relatively dry. You can remove the extra moisture from say, a fish fillet, by patting it dry with a paper towel. The more watery the food you fry, the less crispy it’ll be.
Use breadcrumbs
A fail-safe way is to coat the food with a batter or with breadcrumbs. The batter or coating seals in the food which steams to achieve a moist and tender interior, while the exterior stays extra crunchy.
For extra crunch, use Japanese or panko breadcrumbs which are coarser in texture than the usual fine grain breadcrumbs. Or else, try a cereal coating like cornflakes or even rice crispies. They’ll guarantee a crunchy exterior even if baked, not fried.
Pair chicken with the perfect gravy and get ready for a great meal!
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