Donna Walsifer
tasty fried chicken
When my daughter first started living in Manhattan after graduating from college, my sister-in-law and I met her after work. She took us to Redhead Tavern in the East Village. While doing a bit of research for this post, I come to find that the Redhead Tavern closed last December. However, prior to closing it was featured on one of the earlier seasons of the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.
Two of the things that Redhead was known for was their pretzels and beer cheese and fried chicken. While it doesn't have a thick exterior crust, I think the reason why I enjoy this recipe so much is the flavor that the chicken takes on from the brining. I have made chef Meg Grace's dry rub in the past, but have also used Williams-Sonoma's Quick Brine, which comes close to replicating almost the same flavor profile.
Most brines are done with a proportion of salt and sugar diluted in water. Other seasonings in Chef Grace's brine is garlic, peppercorns and rosemary. The protein sits in the liquid brine usually overnight so that the meat absorbs the flavors of the brine and cooks up moist and juicy.
If you are looking for another recipe to change up your basic fried chicken, may I recommend Redhead Tavern's fried chicken.
Most brines are done with a proportion of salt and sugar diluted in water. Other seasonings in Chef Grace's brine is garlic, peppercorns and rosemary. The protein sits in the liquid brine usually overnight so that the meat absorbs the flavors of the brine and cooks up moist and juicy.
If you are looking for another recipe to change up your basic fried chicken, may I recommend Redhead Tavern's fried chicken.
Super-Crispy Fried Chicken
Meg Grace, Redhead Tavern
January 2009
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 quart water
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
4 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
One 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
Meg Grace, Redhead Tavern
January 2009
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 quart water
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
4 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
One 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
- In a large, deep bowl, combine the water with 1/3 cup of the salt, the brown sugar, garlic, thyme sprigs and black peppercorns and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the chicken pieces, submerging them in the brine. Refrigerate the chicken overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 300°. In a large, heavy pot, heat 2 inches of oil to 325°. Drain the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, black pepper, cayenne and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Set a rack over a large rimmed baking sheet near the stove. Dredge half of the chicken pieces in the spiced flour, then shake off the excess. Fry the chicken pieces for about 10 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 160°. Reduce the heat if the chicken browns too quickly. Transfer the chicken pieces to the rack and keep them warm in the preheated oven while you coat and fry the remaining chicken pieces. Serve the fried chicken hot.