Directions: |
Directions:For a 2 to 2 ½ pound chicken, combine 3 quarts of water with ¼ cup of salt. Immerse the chicken in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. The infused salt gives the chicken a wonderful flavor.
For those of you who are not fond of white meat but need to lower your fat intake, purchase skinless thighs. I found that a lot of the fat is found around the bone under the muscle. It is easy to remove most of the fat. You can pull it off with a dry paper towel or cut if off with a sharp knife. Removing the fat greatly decreases the calories.
As for the crust, I found that it is better to mix the seasoning into the flour before you dredge the chicken. The proportion for most season mixtures is 1 teaspoon per cup of flour. If you just use salt and pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper works well. A mixture of garlic, Parmesan cheese, basil, flour and salt makes a delicious fried chicken crust.
Make sure the oil is hot (350 - 375 F) before frying the chicken. If you do not, the oil absorbs into the crust. I prefer pan-frying in one inch of oil to deep-frying. Use a high smoke point vegetable oil. It is low in cholesterol and does not form trans-fatty acids that can cause cancer. Reusing oil is harmful as it produces trans-fatty acids as it breaks down. I know it saves money but it is not good for your health.
Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 F to kill any harmful bacteria. Salmonella is a harmful type of bacteria that is commonly found on chicken.
It is wise to have a meat thermometer on hand to check food temperatures. You can purchase a multi-purpose thermometer at a store that sells small kitchen supplies. It is important to thoroughly clean the thermometer stem between uses with hot soapy water to prevent cross contamination to other foods.
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