Berry Jam Fried Chicken Recipes

BLACKBERRY CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mash 2 tablespoons berries. Add 1/4 cup broth, brown sugar, vinegar, oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon paprika and cumin., Place chicken in an 11x7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray; pour broth mixture over the top. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper and remaining paprika. , Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°, basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove chicken and keep warm. , Skim fat from pan drippings. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and remaining broth until smooth. Gradually stir in drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken; sprinkle with remaining blackberries.

SOUTHERN LIVING'S BEST FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine 1 tablespoon salt with 3 quarts water in a large bowl or container. Add chicken, cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse with cold water and pat dry.
• Stir together remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Sprinkle half the mixture evenly over chicken.
• In a large sealable plastic bag, combine remaining pepper mixture and flour. Add 2 pieces chicken to bag and shake well to coat. Remove chicken pieces, shaking off extra flour, and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Take a large (10- or 12-inch) cast-iron skillet or chicken fryer, for which you have a lid, and fit with a candy or deep-frying thermometer. Add oil and bacon drippings and heat to 360 degrees over medium heat; the oil will ripple and possibly give off a few wisps of smoke.
• Using tongs, immediately add chicken pieces, skin side down (work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding pan). The oil will drop to about 325 degrees, where it should stay; adjust heat so that oil is bubbling gently around the pieces. Cover and cook 6 minutes; uncover and cook 9 minutes. Turn chicken pieces; cover and cook 6 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5 to 9 minutes, depending on size of pieces. If necessary for even browning, turn pieces over a few times toward the end.
• Drain on paper towels or paper bags. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken pieces in a bowl and toss them with buttermilk, 2 tablespoons salt and a healthy grind of black pepper. Cover and marinate for at least an hour and up to a day.
• Combine flour, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper in a large bowl or, ideally, a paper bag large enough to accommodate the flour and the pieces of chicken.
• Pour oil into a large, heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet with high sides and a lid, to a depth of a few inches. Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.
• Set a rack on a baking sheet or tray. Place the chicken pieces in the paper bag filled with the flour mixture and shake well to coat, or toss them in the bowl with the flour mixture to achieve a similar result.
• Shake off excess flour and fry the pieces of chicken skin-side down, in batches so as not to crowd the pan, for about 5 to 15 minutes, covered by the lid. Remove the lid, turn over the chicken pieces, and cook for about 5 to 15 minutes more, uncovered, until they are cooked through and a deep golden brown. Color is as or more important than time: Watch your chicken and get it out when it's golden brown.
• Remove chicken to the rack to drain and rest, sprinkle with salt and serve warm or at room temperature.

BERRY JAM

Steps:

• Toss berries and sugar together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Let sit for at least 15 minutes and up to overnight, periodically tossing to coat and to dissolve the sugar. (This will help coax the juices out of the fruit.)
• Place a small plate in the refrigerator to chill. (You'll use this later.)
• Bring the fruit to a strong simmer over medium heat until the berries burst and the juices start to boil, about 15 minutes. If using a vanilla bean as an add-in, put it in the pot at this point.
• Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook the jam, at first stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula, then more frequently as the juices thicken. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the fruit has begun to break down, 40 to 50 minutes. How much it breaks down will depend on its type and ripeness: For example, strawberries are likely to retain more of their shape, while raspberries will break down almost entirely.
• As the jam cooks, the liquid will reduce, the sugars thicken and the natural pectins activate. You'll notice the liquid go from a rapid, rolling boil with smaller bubbles to a slow, thick, tarlike boil with larger bubbles: This is the stage at which it's most important to stir constantly along the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching and sticking. (Sugar is heavier than water and will concentrate there, increasing the chance that the fruit will burn.) It's also the stage at which splattering may occur, so take care in stirring.
• Once the jam reaches a slow, thick boil, add lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring constantly until the jam returns to its earlier consistency, about another 5 minutes. To test the consistency, spoon a bit of jam onto the chilled plate, return it to the refrigerator and chill for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through it: It should hold its shape on either side without appearing watery or runny. If it's not there yet, cook a few minutes more. (Note: Some fruit, like strawberries, contain more water and less natural pectin than say, a raspberry. This means the jam will never be quite as thick or gelled, but it will still be delicious).
• Remove from heat, and incorporate any of the add-ins listed (see notes). Pick out vanilla bean if you added it earlier. Divide jam between several 8-ounce canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space, and seal immediately. Can the jams (see our How to Make Jam guide for more instruction), or store in the refrigerator, using them within a couple of weeks.

PICKLE-BRINED FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Add the chicken thighs and 1/2 cup pickle brine to a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours, turning the bag occasionally to marinate evenly.
• While the chicken marinates, prepare the pickle mayonnaise: Finely chop 8 dill pickle coins. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, capers and chopped pickles; season generously with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• When ready to cook the chicken, pour the buttermilk into a wide shallow bowl. In a separate wide shallow bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, onion powder and 1 tablespoon each salt and pepper; whisk to combine.
• In a large Dutch oven or deep cast-iron skillet, add 2 inches of oil and, over medium-high, heat to 325 degrees, about 5 minutes.
• Working with one piece at a time, remove the chicken from the brine, transfer to the buttermilk and turn to coat. Lift chicken from the buttermilk, allowing the excess liquid to drip off, then add it to the flour mixture and turn to coat, patting extra flour mixture on top to ensure the chicken is well coated on all surfaces. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Working in two batches, add the chicken to the hot oil and cook, turning every 1 to 2 minutes, until crust is deep golden and chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool and season with salt and pepper. (An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the thickest part of the thigh should read at least 165 degrees.) Repeat with the remaining chicken, adjusting the heat to ensure that the oil maintains a temperature of 325 degrees.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large, preferably nonstick, skillet over medium. Add 2 buns, split-side down, and cook until warmed and toasted, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining butter and buns.
• Make the coleslaw by tossing the cabbage with half of the pickle mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Slather the remaining pickle mayonnaise on the bottom of the buns and top with the chicken, red onion, remaining pickles and coleslaw. Serve with hot sauce, if using.

PEACH AND MOLASSES CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the peach jam, molasses, vinegar and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to combine. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer and whisk in the tomato paste, soy sauce, coriander, ground mustard and salt. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened; the sauce should be reduced to about 1 cup. The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. (Before using, bring to room temperature and thin with a few teaspoons of hot water if the sauce has become too thick to brush.)
• Prepare the chicken: Leaving one section free of coals on a charcoal grill or leaving one burner off on a gas grill, heat a grill to medium (350 degrees). Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels. Season both sides with the salt and pepper. Coat with the peanut oil.
• Place the chicken thighs on the hot grill, skin-side down, close the grill lid and cook, moving the chicken away from any flare-ups, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the skin lifts easily from the grill grates. Transfer a few tablespoons of the sauce to a small bowl and set aside. Flip the chicken thighs and use a heat-resistant brush to coat with some of the remaining sauce. Cover the grill again and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes, then flip and baste with the sauce again. Grill with the lid open for another 10 minutes, or until the thighs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. (If the skin starts to burn, flip the chicken and move to the cool part of the grill.) Flip the chicken skin-side up one last time and rest on an upper rack or the cool side of the grill for 10 minutes, using a clean brush and the reserved sauce to baste once more.
• Transfer the chicken to a platter and sprinkle the tops with the crushed coriander, then serve.

FRIED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce by mixing raspberry preserves, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a bowl.
• Place cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Beat eggs with salt in another bowl. Dip chicken in cornstarch, then into the beaten eggs. Dip in cornstarch again.
• Fill a pan with 1 1/2 inches of oil and heat over medium heat. Fry chicken in the pan until light golden brown and centers are no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Place cooked chicken aside, clean out the pan, and add 1/4 cup oil.
• Heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken and stir gently to coat with oil. Pour in sauce and coat well, stirring gently.

KNOTT'S BERRY FARM FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Soak chicken for at least 1 hour and pat dry.
• Coat each piece of chicken with flour and shake off any excess flour.
• Bring oil up to temp in an iron skillet or large frying pan and carefully drop in chicken pieces.
• Cover and fry for 45 minutes or until golden brown and juices run clear.
• Remove chicken when done and drain on paper towels.