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Fried chicken
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Fried chicken (also referred to as Southern Fried chicken) is chicken which is dipped in a breading mixture and then deep fried, pan fried or pressure fried. The breading seals in the juices but also absorbs the fat of the fryer. The chicken itself may be chicken pieces on the bone with skin, or boneless and skinless pieces, usually breast meat, as in chicken fingers.
Methods of frying vary.
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Encyclopedia
Fried chicken (also referred to as Southern Fried chicken) is chicken which is dipped in a breading mixture and then deep fried, pan fried or pressure fried. The breading seals in the juices but also absorbs the fat of the fryer. The chicken itself may be chicken pieces on the bone with skin, or boneless and skinless pieces, usually breast meat, as in chicken fingers.
Methods of frying vary. It is most often made using a pressure fryer, as this is the quickest method of preparation. The water inside the chicken becomes steam and escapes through the oil in a sealed chamber, increasing the pressure and lowering the cooking temperature needed. The steam also cooks the chicken through, but still allows the piece to be moist and soft inside the crispy batter.
Techniques
Pan frying requires a frying pan and an amount of oil that may vary by recipe and technique, from a quarter inch to halfway up the chicken pieces. The chicken is shaken in a paper bag with flour and spice; no coating is necessary. It is then placed in the hot pan and fried, turning as needed.
Pan fried chicken generally takes substantially longer to prepare than deep fried or pressure fried chicken. Restaurants offering traditional pan fried chicken often specify a wait of fifteen minutes or longer.
Deep frying is the most common in commercial settings. This type of frying usually uses batter coatings.
History
Deep frying has a long history supported by evidence from ancient cultures all over the world including Rome, Egypt and China. Fritters had already existed in Europe since medieval times, and fried chicken was known in Europe as pollo fritto in Italy, Ga Xao in Vietnam, etc. before it became a culinary habit in the Southern United States. The Scots, and later Scottish immigrants to many southern states had a tradition of deep frying chicken in fat, unlike their English counterparts who baked or boiled chicken. There is also evidence of deep frying in West Africa. It is uncertain is if deep frying existed in that region before European contact.
Whichever way it was introduced to the American South, fried chicken became a common staple. Later, as Africans were brought to work on southern plantations, the slaves who became cooks incorporated seasonings and spices that were absent in traditional Scottish cuisine, enriching the flavor. Since most slaves were unable to raise expensive meats, but generally allowed to keep chickens, frying chicken as a special occasion spread through the African American communities of the South. It endured the fall of slavery and gradually passed into a general Southern dish. Since fried chicken could keep for several days more than other preparations and traveled well in hot weather before refrigeration was commonplace, it gained further favor in the periods of American history when segregation closed off most restaurants to the black population. Fried chicken continues to be among this region's top choices for "Sunday dinner" among both blacks and whites. Holidays such as Independence Day and other gatherings often feature this dish.
Since the Civil War traditional slave foods like fried chicken, watermelon, and chitterlings, have suffered a strong association with African American stereotypes and blackface minstrelry. This was commercialized for the first half of the 20th century by restaurants like Sambo's and Coon Chicken Inn, which selected exaggerated blacks as mascots, implying quality by their association with the stereotype. While acknowledged positively as soul food in the modern age by many, the affinity that African American culture has for fried chicken has been considered a delicate, often pejorative issue; While still present, this perception has been fading for several decades with the ubiquitous nature of fried chicken dishes in the US and a gradual rejection of race-based stereotypes.
Global spread
Outside the South, breaded fried chicken in many forms became an American staple with the spread of fast-food chain restaurants throughout the US and then around the world, and the total industrialization of chicken production in the US to the point that it's usually the cheapest source of animal protein. Even within the US it has been spun off into innumerable related, distinct dishes, and has become so popular that a similar deep frying process is used to turn almost any meat into lookalike brown nuggets of food.
Variants
- Chicken fingers - also known as chicken tenders or chicken strips, this is one of the most common forms of fried chicken, generally pieces of chicken breast (sometimes with rib meat) cut into long strips, breaded or battered dipped, and deep fried.
- Chicken nuggets
- Buffalo wings, or the boneless buffalo fingers
- Popcorn chicken - occasionally known as chicken bites or other similar terms, small morsels of boneless chicken, battered and fried, resulting in little nuggets that resemble popcorn.
- Chicken patties - breaded, fried patties of chicken meat used in sandwiches.
- Chicken fries - chicken nuggets in the shape of french fries, popularized by the fast-food chains Burger King, KFC and Hungry Jack's. These may also be referred to as chicken sticks.
- Chicken Chipees - chicken meat chopped and shaped into chips coated with potato crumbs. Popular in Australia
- Chicken Karaage
- Chicken Katsu
- Country Fried Chicken - chicken meat that has been coated with flour or breaded,fried and served topped with country cream gravy.
- Crispy fried chicken - a dish from the Cantonese cuisine of China
- Chicken fried steak
A variant of fried chicken known as prawn paste chicken or shrimp paste chicken can be found in Hong Kong-style restaurants in Singapore and Malaysia. This variety is not dissimilar to the common deep-fried version, except that the breading mixture includes pureed shrimp and ginger juice, giving it a distinctive aroma and flavor.
See also
External links
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