Help with deep fried chicken?

[jasonr]

So I fried up some chicken last weekend. Filled a stock pot with corn oil, heated it to about 350, and fried away, using standard breading procedure (flour, egg wash, then bread crumbs). Here's the thing. The chicken came out moist and perfectly cooked, so as far as I'm concerned, the cooking was a success.

But I had a problem with the texture of the skin. I was hoping to get a soft texture akin to KFC. Instead, I ended up with this very thick, hard skin, like armor. It wasn't terrible, but it's just not the texture I was looking for. I used all-purpose flour, a milk / egg mixture, and some finely ground bread crumbs I bought at the store. Any ideas on how to get the texture I want?

The second issue was flavour. I seasoned the flour according to a recipe I found online. I can't find the exact one, but it was something similar to below:

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt

The actual recipe I used had even more paprika, and also called for MSG. I didn't have any MSG or celery salt, so I omitted those.

Bottom line, despite a huge quantity of spice, the skin was relatively bland. I could have just sprinkled on a little salt and pepper and it would have been the same.

How do I get a better flavour for my chicken?

[quicksilver]

Next time, jasonr, you might try letting chicken pieces set in plastic bag, in buttermilk, in fridge, at least a couple of hours or up to overnight. Then pat dry and proceed as you did.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by jasonr

How do I get a better flavour for my chicken?

You might try sprinkling your "stuff" on after you fry it....just out of the oil.

[pacanis]

I get a real nice skin on my fried chicken just by pan frying them in oil, not deep frying (submersed). I brown them on both sides, cover them and simmer, then uncover, turn the heat back up and finish them. If you want to go that route...

[Dave Hutchins]

Brine your chicken. When ready to cook pat dry dredge in seasoned flour then in butter milk & egg then & seasoned cracker crumbs. Brown in oil then put in a 350*F oven covered with foil for 45 minutes. It will be brown and the skin will be soft
Enjoy

[jasonr]

Well none of this can be right, because the object is to deep fry, not bake or pan fry.

I don't want a way around the problem. I want to solve the problem.

[blissful]

I fry mine like Pacanis, I use less than an inch of oil, brown on one side, then turn and brown on the other side, turn to a third side if there is one, and cover.

Looking at your mixture for the coating, if you want more flavor, use more spices in relation to flour, or less flour in relation to spices. Also, you can soak in buttermilk prior to dredging in the flour mixture, dip them into a Louisiana Hot sauce first, then in the flour mixture and see if you like that.
I get a wonderful texture on the skin, but I don't dredge in egg and bread crumbs after the flour. Just milk/buttermilk, then the flour mixture.

I hope that helps, give it a try?

[letscook]

I do the same as blissfull with good results
I marinate mine in buttermilk and a few dashes of hot sauce, then season your flour well, (your seasons you used already should flavor it well) I put the flour in a big brown bag or a large plastic bowl with secure lid and then the chicken and shake the heck out it until all is well coated and place on a wire rack to dry as the oil heats up then i fry in conola oil just till half way up chicken and turning and covering it with a lid, covering steams it which keeps the coating crisp but not hard with moist chicken inside.
No egg no bread crumbs

[GhettoRacingKid]

+3 for marinating in buttermilk

also season the chicken before you bread it. that should fix your issue.

When I have fried chicken I usually do the quick fry and then toss in the oven

[pacanis]

All this talk of chicken.... I fried some last night for dinner.

And I know you are looking for deep fry help jason, but pan frying will give you the makings for some good gravy. But you are right, it's a different product.