Home > Table Talk > Archives > 2006 > February > 27 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTo skin or not to skin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last week Sarah posted her secret to the second-best fried chicken in the world (first place, she claims, goes to her mom.) “The secret is indeed in preparation, and a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, but skinning the chicken first is a must at my house!” she says. Was I the only one wondering how she pulls that off without the meat drying out? You certainly save some calories and cholesterol by skipping the skin…but do you sacrifice crispiness as well? There are some ways around these dilemmas — one of which I just ran across in our archives: Peanut Fried Chicken. You cut the chicken in small pieces so it will cook quickly, dip it in an egg wash and roll it in finely chopped peanuts (okay, maybe this method doesn’t save you THAT many calories.) It’s certainly not Grandma’s fried chicken — but it is one tasty way to maintain both the moistness and the crunch without the fatty skin. Any other ideas out there for frying chicken without the skin?
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Southern Food
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By Susie
February 28, 2006 12:39 PM | Link to this
My aunt made the BEST “oven fried” chicken, it was always SO crunchy and good. She dipped it in the egg wash, then rolled it in crunched up Lays potato chips. I can still taste it!
By Mark
March 1, 2006 12:23 PM | Link to this
You can always deep fry the skinless chicken in really hot oil. That would keep it crisp while locking in the moisture.
By tamara
March 1, 2006 04:23 PM | Link to this
Good fried chicken is all about getting your grease to the right temperature and not over frying it. I mix egg, cream, chopped garlic, salt & pepper for my dip then I batter in KFC flour & Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Make sure the grease is just before boiling and lay each peice in the pan. Fry for approx. 2 mins (depending on thickness) and turn for another 2 to 3 mins removing before browning too much. The batter stays on and the chicken is so tender it falls apart like a nice cooked roast. I normally use chicken tenders but a breast cut into smaller pieces works just a well. I recently cooked for the new hubbys entire family (all of which are southern women) and my chicken blew em all away.
By Jesse's Girl
March 2, 2006 12:41 PM | Link to this
I have a husband, 3 children, a dog…and oh yeah…my mom lives with us! So my kitchen time is limited. BUt I believe in cooking for my family at least 3 nights a week. When they want fried chicken, I skip the granny methods I was raised on and go straight to this awesome and FAST prep!
Adjust to the amount of chicken you need. *. Tyson skinless chicken tenderloins. *. Roll the thawed chicken in enough egg to coat. *. Put eggie peices in a mixture of flour and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix….the powdery kind. *. If you put it all in a tupperware type container with a lid, all you have to do is shake it up and you are good to go. *. Fry it in good oil. Its awesome and tender and yummy. Just don’t worry about the calories!
By SR
March 10, 2006 08:55 AM | Link to this
Hi all
We are looking for members to start a cooking club in the metro Atlanta area. You MUST meet the following criteria:
Couples only (but need not be married, Age 21+
Members should be adventurous in their eating habits Should be interested in expanding their cooking skills Need to be reliable and committed to the group Need to be fun-loving and team spirited
If you are interested in joining, please send a 1 page note about yourself & why you should be considered. Email to srawal1@student.gsu.edu