Awesome Pan Fried Chicken From Cooks Illustrated Recipes

AWESOME PAN FRIED CHICKEN FROM COOKS ILLUSTRATED

Steps:

• Wash chicken. Pat dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil over medium high heat. Add chicken skin side down. Cook for 6-8 minutes.
• Carefully flip chicken in pan, using tongs. (I find that a rolling motion, as opposed to a pulling or pushing, helps to get the chicken up without pulling off the skin.) Reduce heat to medium low. Add chicken broth. Cover pan and cook 15 minutes.
• Remove chicken from pan. Pour off broth into a bowl or saucepan for use in gravy. Carefully wipe out pan with paper towels.
• Add remaining tbsp of oil in pan. Place chicken pieces back in pan skin side down. Cook another 5 minutes.

BATTER-FRIED CHICKEN FROM COOK'S ILLUSTRATED

Steps:

• Whisk one qwt. cold water, salt, and sugar in large bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Add chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to one hour.
• Whisk water, flour, cornstarch, pepper, paprika, baking powder, salt, and cayenne in large bowl until smooth. Refrigerate batter while chicken is brining.
• Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Remove chicken from refrigerator, pour off brine, and pat dry with paper towels.
• Rewhisk batter. Transfer half of chicken to batter. One by one, remove chicken from batter (allowing excess to drip back into bowl) and transfer to oil. Fry chicken, adjusting burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature between 300 and 325 degrees, until deep golden brown and white meat registers to 160 degrees, 12-15 minutes.
• Drain chicken on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet. Bring oil back to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken. Serve.
• Can reheat by placing chicken on wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and warming in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes.