Crispy Fried Chicken

Description

Crispy fried chicken is a standard dish in the Cantonese cuisine of southern China and Hong Kong.he chicken is fried in such a way that the skin is extremely crunchy, but the white meat is relatively soft. his is done by first poaching the chicken in water with spices (e.g., star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, Sichuan pepper, ginger, fennel, and scallions), drying it, coating it with a syrup of vinegar and sugar, letting it dry thoroughly (which helps make the skin crispy), and deep-frying it.

Traditionally this dish is eaten at night. It is also one of the traditional chicken dishes served at Chinese weddings and other Asian weddings.

Ingredients

1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour for coating
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

Steps

Take your cut up chicken pieces and skin them if you prefer.
Place flour in a large plastic bag (let the amount of chicken you are cooking dictate the amount of flour you use). Season flour with paprika (which helps to brown the chicken), salt and pepper.
Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk then, a few at a time, transfer them into the bag with flour; seal the bag and shake to coat well.
Place the coated chicken on a cookie sheet or tray, and cover with a clean dish towel or waxed paper. LET SIT UNTIL THE FLOUR IS OF A PASTE-LIKE CONSISTENCY. THIS IS CRUCIAL!
Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot.
Put in as many chicken pieces as the skillet can hold. Brown the chicken in HOT oil on both sides.
When browned, reduce heat and cover skillet; let cook for 30 minutes (the chicken will be cooked through but not crispy). Remove cover, raise heat again, and continue to fry until crispy.
Drain fried chicken on paper towels. Depending on how much chicken you have, you may have to fry in a few shifts. Keep the finished chicken in a slightly warm oven while preparing the rest.

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