The Crispiest Fried Chicken | Kenji's Cooking Show

Summary by Krater

J. Kenji López-Alt demonstrates how to make buttermilk-brined, double-fried chicken using a dry-wet-dry dredging method and explains the science behind the crust and frying techniques.

From the video

Answers: How do you make double-fried buttermilk fried chicken?

• Buttermilk brine for chicken
• Dry-wet-dry dredging method for frying chicken
• Double frying chicken technique
• Using a wok for deep frying
• Temperature management for deep frying chicken

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup rice flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• a couple of pinches plus 1 tbsp and 1 tbsp for brine salt
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 whole chicken
• 2 to 3 quarts rice brand oil

What it concludes

• Adding salt to the brine starts to break down muscle fibers in the chicken, allowing it to retain moisture better during frying.
• Browning chicken in buttermilk provides flavor, viscosity so the dredge sticks, and acidity that tenderizes the meat.
• Frying the chicken twice removes moisture from the crust, resulting in an extra dry, extraordinarily crispy crust.
• Refrigerating the breaded chicken overnight in the marinade creates a cosmic oneness where the skin does not slough away from the crust.
• A wok is a superior vessel for deep frying due to its flared sides, which cause volume to increase non-linearly with height and reduce the risk of spills.