Thread: Cast iron?

Originally Posted by Nightblade

This is how I have done it for years and it works great ...........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5NbQwzwUTw

Also thought you guys might like this .......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrZ-...w&spfreload=10

You don't hear of it too often but you can season any metal just like cast iron. The majority of the time its not desirable. But if you have unconditioned aluminum such as sheet pans, they season up really great and are significantly easier to clean and far more nonstick. Most people don't think about seasoning aluminum but it works well.

Well the Fried Chicken was good, but not perfect needs some tweaking

I spiced the flour up with the usual suspects plus a healthy dose of Tony's for the kick



Dredged and set the pieces aside for 20 minutes, then started frying them up



Adjusting the temp and holding the temp got easier with the Thermometer probe.



Like I said Good but not perfect, I know what I am after and this is not quite there yet..




Some small tweaks and I can adjust it as I go

Oh the Grill pan was out for the Asparagus

How was the moistness and tenderness of the flesh?

Originally Posted by cudarunner

How was the moistness and tenderness of the flesh?

Very nice, the chicken was good, it just wasn't quite where I wanted it

Have you ever had Church's Chicken ???? That is the crunch I am after, with the "Kick" of a Popeye's..

I think I might try the 1700's recipe from Jas Townsend I posted a few pages back on the next attempt

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Very nice, the chicken was good, it just wasn't quite where I wanted it

Have you ever had Church's Chicken ???? That is the crunch I am after, with the "Kick" of a Popeye's..

I think I might try the 1700's recipe from Jas Townsend I posted a few pages back on the next attempt

Just like with razors, change one thing at a time so you get a good example of what that single change did.

Personally as far as the crunch goes, I'd up the fry temp to 350 degs. I'd also have more oil/more of a deep fry.

Yes I know that's TWO changes but they are closely related.

If that gets you close to the crunch you want then play with the spices.

Just a thought.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Very nice, the chicken was good, it just wasn't quite where I wanted it

Have you ever had Church's Chicken ???? That is the crunch I am after, with the "Kick" of a Popeye's..

I think I might try the 1700's recipe from Jas Townsend I posted a few pages back on the next attempt

Try substituting cornstarch for some of your flour. Cornstarch yields a crispier crust than flour when frying.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Try substituting cornstarch for some of your flour. Cornstarch yields a crispier crust than flour when frying.

You are of course absolutely correct. The breading for the boneless skinless chicken thighs that I use to make Orange Chicken calls for;

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour

Plus some other dry ingredients;

The chicken pieces are deep fried at 350 degs and It comes out Very Crispy/however there is the sweet orange sauce added to it later so it needs to be Very Crispy to start with/perhaps too crispy for just eating but I'm not sure.

I pulled out the big Wagner skillet and fried up a slab of northern pike in lard. It made a fine Lent fish meal. The easiest way to eat a slab of northern is to eat from the back of the fish to the front and the "Y" bones slip right out.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Very nice, the chicken was good, it just wasn't quite where I wanted it

Have you ever had Church's Chicken ???? That is the crunch I am after, with the "Kick" of a Popeye's..

I think I might try the 1700's recipe from Jas Townsend I posted a few pages back on the next attempt

I haven't had Church's, but if that's analogous to KFC's crispy chicken, the secret to that was double breading it. Toss chicken in water, dump into breading and make sure it's good & covered. Toss back into water, bread a second time so the breading is good & thick. Of course it was covered completely in oil like Cuda suggested. I can't remember the temp off the top of my head, but I think 350 is close. Might've been more like 360-365-ish, but when you're cooking 4 head of chicken at a time the temp probably needs to be turned up a tick.

Originally Posted by Benz

I pulled out the big Wagner skillet and fried up a slab of northern pike in lard. It made a fine Lent fish meal. The easiest way to eat a slab of northern is to eat from the back of the fish to the front and the "Y" bones slip right out.

I prefer to just take them out if they are big enough, or I pickle them if they are smaller. They just dissolve away. [emoji1]

*Edit - Big enough fish I mean, not big enough bones.