10 Facts about crispy food:
Fried chicken, when cooked properly, is one of the most delicious foods on earth. We tracked down ten interesting facts about this staple’s origins and history, as well as a few handy tips on how to make the perfect batch in your very own kitchen.
Fried chicken comes in plenty of shapes and sizes, but when it’s good, it’s good. Biting into a shatteringly crisp and super-flavorful shell that gives way to tender and juicy chicken inside is one of life’s great culinary pleasures; and even when it’s not so good – maybe a little soggy on the outside and overcooked on the inside – it’s still perfectly passable.
Fried chicken has experienced a renaissance of sorts in the past decade or so; what used to primarily be the domain of humble shacks and Sunday suppers has now found its way onto the menus of some of America’s best restaurants. Like the burger, it’s a simple food that can range in quality from just okay to life-changing, and more and more chefs are trying their hand at turning out their idea of perfection. It’s also a dish that, with a little practice, can be mastered in your very own kitchen using inexpensive ingredients.
So whether your experience with fried chicken starts and ends with KFC, or if you’re a seasoned expert who not only makes it at home but seeks out the best fried chicken in America, we bet that there’s a lot you didn’t know about this renowned dish. Read on to learn 10 things you didn’t know about fried chicken.
INGREDIENTS
4bone-in pork chops
1Tbsp Dijon mustard
1tsp granulated garlic
1tsp granulated onion
1tsp kosher salt
1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2tsp cayenne pepper plus more to taste
4bacon strips
1/2cup vegetable oil
1/2cup all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, combine granulated garlic, onion, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Pat dry pork chops with a paper towel. Using your hands, rub Dijon mustard all over the pork chops.
Sprinkle the spice mix and evenly rub into the chops on each side.
Dredge in flour really well on both sides and set aside.
Preheat a large, about 12-13-inch, heavy (cast iron is recommended) frying pan over medium-high heat.
Fry the bacon strips, on both sides, until crisp and fat has rendered out. Remove the bacon and reserve it for other uses.
Add vegetable oil to the frying pan. Let the oil warm up to cooking temperature, about 325F.
Dredge each pork chop in flour again, making sure each side is covered really well.
Place in the frying pan and cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and the internal temperature of the pork reached 145F.
Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the pork chops you are using.
Remove pork chops, place on a platter and cover with foil and let rest for 3 minutes before serving.