One of the keys to excellent fried chicken is properly preparing it for frying. If you don’t prepare the chicken properly the breading will separate from the chicken during cooking and let oil between the breading and the chicken making it greasy. Frequently the breading will come off completely in some places and taking the flavorings with it.
Here’s a little hint; always put some cornstarch in the flower used for breading, even if the recipe does not call for it. This helps the breading stick to the chicken.
-
Always rinse the chicken under cold running water before cooking. This will wash off the “coating” that develops on the outside of the chicken while it’s in the butcher’s case or your refrigerator.
-
Dry the chicken after rinsing with clean paper towels and then place the chicken on a cooling rack in a sheet pan. Don’t let the chicken pieces touch each other and never stack them. You want them to stay dry, no drip chicken juice on each other.
-
Cut off any pieces of skin that has separated from the chicken parts. In the fryer these loose pieces will surely pull the rest of the skin loose or even off.
-
Do NOT bring the chicken to room temperature before cooking. It should be at refrigerator temperature (38° - 40°F, 3.3° - 4.4°C). This not only prevents contamination but it keeps the juices in the chicken instead of leaching to the surface making things wet.