[CH] Tonight's Dinner - Pepper-Spiced Fried Chicken

RisaG (radiorlg@yahoo.com)
Sat, 1 Sep 2007 19:02:27 -0700 (PDT) 

This was tonight's dinner and boy was it ever good! I have never been really good at making fried chicken but I've had a real yearning for it lately. I adapted a recipe from Dining Out Cookbook by Mary Engelbreit, not exactly a book of spicy recipes BUT this came out mildly hot, which was fine.
 
 If you want it hotter, use a hotter chile in the marinade. I used a thai chile. I accidentally fried a piece of it too in the batter. Boy was that a good cooks treat!
 
 This was so good.
 
                     *  Exported from  MasterCook  *
 
                       Pepper-Spiced Fried Chicken
 
 Recipe By     : Dining Out Cookbook by Mary Engelbreit
 Serving Size  : 4    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Main Dish                        Poultry
  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
     1/2  cup           buttermilk
     1/2                lemon -- thinly sliced
   1                    jalapeno chile (to 3) -- seeded & minced
     1/2  ts            ground red pepper
   1      2.5 lb        chicken -- cut into 10 pc**
                        vegetable oil -- for frying
   1      cup           all-purpose flour
   2      tsp           salt
     1/2  ts            freshly ground black pepper
 
 In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, lemon slices, jalapeno and red pepper flakes together until combined well. With a fork, poke about 20 holes in each piece of chicken; place the chicken in the bowl. Marinate the chicken, covered and chilled, for 2 hours, turning occasionally. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before frying and let stand at room temperature. Discard the lemon slices.
 
 In a large skillet (I used cast iron), heat the oil over MED-HIGH heat to 375 degrees F, the oil should be about 3/4 inch deep.
 
 While the oil is heating, stir together the flour, salt and pepper on a plate. Roll each piece of chicken in the flour to coat, thoroughly and shake off the excess. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack.
 
 Fry the chicken, in two batches
d through. If the oil begins to smoke, reduce the heat; I f the oil stops bubbling around the chicken pieces, increase the heat. Remove chicken from the oil with tongs and drain on paper towels. Serve hot, warm, room temperature or chilled.
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 NOTES : RisaĒs notes:
 * I didnĒt have buttermilk so I took some milk and put some vinegar in it and let it thicken and sour. Then I continued the recipe.
 
 ** I didnĒt have a whole chicken, just some boneless skinless chicken thighs. They were just wonderful in this marinade. Perfect fried chicken without all the fat from the skin.
 
 
 RisaG
 
 
       
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