King of Comfort
Foods.......
Fried Chicken
There's a resurgence in the restaurant scene and that is
comfort foods. The kinds of
foods that make you feel good and remind you of sitting at Mom's kitchen table.
Whether it be Meatloaf, Pot Pie or Chicken Fried Steak, all these dishes give
us a certain amount of warmth and happiness.
Arguably for me, the king of comfort
foods is fried chicken. You will
see more and more different
fried chicken dishes on restaurant menus this year. For example, KFC just released their Memphis Fried
Chicken with spicy pepper glaze. On
other menus I have seen such samples as Sweet Tea Fried Chicken with honey and lemon. My favorite comes from
a micro regional cuisine in Alabama.
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| Cocoa Cola Fried Chicken |
The dish..... Cocoa Cola Fried Chicken. Chicken that is marinated
in a cocoa cola brine, then dredged in spices and fried using a flavorful
batter and seasoned flour. The
end result is a piece of chicken that is unique in flavor, very juicy and suitable as a stand alone entree, salad or
sandwich. Here's my
rendition of Cocoa Cola Fried Chicken. Whip
up some potato salad and Cole slaw and let the comfort begin! Oh,
and don't forget the pickles. I hope you enjoy it.
Caio,
Chef Joe
Cocoa Cola Fried Chicken
Cocoa Cola Brined Chicken:
8 each Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast,
lightly
pounded to 1/4" thickness
5 cups Cocoa Cola
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
8 sprigs Fresh Thyme
5 cloves garlic, mashed with the side of a chef's
knife
4 teaspoons Hot Sauce, I recommend Cajun Chef
1
teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Directions : Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well until
the salt has dissolved. Reserve
Fried
Chicken Spice:
3
teaspoons Kosher Salt
2
teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1
teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1
1/2 teaspoons Rubbed Sage
1/2
teaspoon Dried Rosemary
1
teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Fried Chicken Batter:
2 cups All Purpose Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
3 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Black Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Onion Powder
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 each Egg
2 1/2 cups Water
Directions: in a large
mixing bowl, combine the flour,
baking powder, salt and spices;
blend well. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, egg and water.
Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients while mixing with
a wire whip. Continue mixing until a smooth batter is achieved. Reserve
Seasoned Flour:
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon Fried Chicken Spice
Directions: combine
flour and spice in a mixing bowl and blend well. Reserve
To Prepare:
1) Place the chicken breast
in the brine and cover with plastic wrap.
Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the chicken to marinate for
8 hours.
2) Remove the chicken from
the brine and pat dry with a clean a
paper towel.
3) Lay the chicken on a parchment lined
sheet tray. Season both
sides of the
chicken liberally with the chicken spice. Cover with
plastic wrap and place in
the refrigerator for 2 hours
4) In
a large cast iron skillet, pour vegetable oil 1/3 of the way up
the side of the
skillet. Place over medium high heat and heat
oil to 350 degrees.
5) Working in batches, dredge the chicken
breast in seasoned flour.
Dip in the
chicken batter and allow excess to drain off.
Return to
the seasoned flour and coat completely. Gently place into the
heated oil and cook for 6 minutes,
turning occasionally. Remove
the chicken to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.
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| Cocoa Cola Fried Chicken Salad |
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| Cocoa Cola Chicken Sandwich |
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