Chicago chef gives tips for perfect fried chicken
CHICAGO (WLS) -- It's all about the picnics this weekend, and for many of us, that means fried chicken.
Served cold or hot, it's an American staple over the Fourth of July holiday.
Paul Fehribach, owner of Big Jones in the Andersonville neighborhood, gives us some expert tips for making fried chicken.
Fehribach got so many requests for his famous fried chicken, he had to finally write it all down in his new cookbook. And while the restaurant is known for its unique take on historic Southern dishes, it's the fried chicken that seems to resonate with a lot of diners, whether he likes it or not.
The menu at Big Jones covers a large section of the southern U.S. But despite that range, they still sell a lot of fried chicken. Fehribach documents all of the details in his new Big Jones Cookbook, which include cutting up the bird the right way.
"But more importantly, the breast is intact, and you've got all that skin still surrounding that breast so that the white meat is going to stay nice and juicy during cooking," he said.
He cuts as close to the thigh meat as possible, going through the joint and along the backbone.
"You've got all this nice skin which is going to mean lots of juice and crispiness during cooking," he said.
Next step, the brine, which means adding salt to cold water.
About a tablespoon and a half per gallon of total volume, Fehribach said.
There's also cayenne pepper and some vinegar.
"Just enough acidity, it sort of makes the juice of the meat prickle your tongue a little bit and makes it more exciting," he said.
At least eight hours in the brine, if not overnight, then dredged into seasoned flour.
"The more of a crispy crust you want, the longer you want to leave it in the dredge. I wouldn't leave it in more than six or eight minutes, because after that you're gonna start drawing out of the meat and then the meat gets dry," he said.
Fehribach recommends a cast-iron pot, for even cooking, preferably in lard, and definitely not in vegetable oil. Using a thermometer, the chicken should cook between 325 and 350 degrees max.
"You shouldn't really have any splatter if you've got your chicken evenly dredged, but always the skin side down," he said.
The breasts take the longest, about 18 minutes, and Fehribach says to remember the oil temperature will drop as you add more chicken to it.
"For the most part I think you get the best mixture of golden brown and juiciness from 325 to 335," he said.
Big Jones
5347 N. Clark St.
(773) 275-5725
