Is there anything better than comfort food on a cold Sunday?
If you’re feeling a tad rough, following Bank Holiday celebrations, we have the perfect way to perk you up.
Fried chicken, of course.
For those who fancy an at-home cooking challenge, we talked to expert in all things poultry, Carl Clarke, co-founder of Chick ‘n’ Sours in Haggerston.
He has shared his top tips on how to make crispy yet moist chicken tenders that will make your mouth water.
Carl has also kindly shared two super quick and easy Chick ‘n’ Sours dip recipes.
Geab your chicken and let’s go.
What kind of chicken to use for tenders
Carl says: ‘First, make sure to buy the best quality-chicken you can afford from your local butcher.
‘For our example, we will choose chicken breast to make chicken tenders.
‘In Chick ‘n’ Sours we use the inner fillet of the breast – you can ask the butcher if they have this, but if not, buy breasts and slice into large pieces.
Here are a few things to bear in mind; if you cook breasts, these are going to dry out quicker than if you go for something with bone, like chicken drumstick and thigh – but on the flipside, these take longer to cook.
How to prep your chicken
First things first; you need to brine your chicken (leave it in a salt water solution to season it).
Carl says: ‘Use a 10% salt ratio and brine for an hour (so for one litre of liquid, add 10g of salt).
‘You’ll need to make enough brine to submerge your chicken. This will help keep your chicken moist when you cook it and ensure it’s well-seasoned throughout.
‘Make sure you don’t over-brine it (use too much salt or leave it in too long) or the chicken will start to cure (go tough and rubbery).
‘If you’re using smaller pieces of white meat, like chicken strips, it’ll cure quicker than if you were to use larger pieces of thigh.
‘If you’re using smaller pieces of white meat, like chicken strips, it’ll cure quicker than if you were to use larger pieces of thigh.’
Carl’s top tip? Use buttermilk instead of water to make it slightly richer.
Once the brining is done, it’s time for the flour.
Carl says: ‘Get most of the liquid off your chicken and place on a separate plate to get it ready for the flour.
‘You can go with any choice of flour. We use a blend of four types, but all-purpose flour is fine. If you can’t tolerate gluten, use gluten-free rice or potato flour.
‘Some people like to season their flour mix – we don’t do that (barring a bit of salt and pepper) as we add our flavour bombs once it’s out the fryer, but it really depends on your own personal choice.
‘However, the great thing about chicken is that it’s a flexible meat; meaning you can add some flavouring to your flour mix if you want.
‘There are no hard and fast rules – get creative.
‘We love Szechuan pepper so you could give that a go for a little tingle on your tongue!’
You can get a range of speciality stuff from your local supermarket, but standard chilli flakes, white pepper and garlic powder will do.
Or just stick to salt and pepper.
Carl adds: ‘When flouring your pieces, put the flour in a big mixing bowl and add the chicken pieces to it.
‘Try not to touch the chicken too much when mixing (or massaging) but blend the flour up and over the chicken to cover it completely.
‘The more you touch it, the flatter the coating will be. The more gentle you are will result in a lighter, more textured finish.’
Another top tip? Shake off excess flour so it doesn’t go clumpy before frying.
How to fry your chicken
You’re ready for the final stage: frying.
Carl says: ‘At the restaurant, we cook in two stages; the first stage is in a pressure fryer in a lower temperature to cook the chicken through and keep it nice and moist
‘Then we finish it off in the open fryer at a higher temperature to crisp up the outside and get a moist piece of chicken with a crunchy exterior.
‘If you don’t have this equipment at home (most of us don’t) just use a pan, but have a food thermometer at hand is useful.
‘Pour in enough oil to be able to submerge the chicken and use tongs to carefully put the meat in so you don’t burn yourself. The oil should ideally be at 160 degrees.
‘Cook the chicken until the coating is golden and crispy. Break one piece open to test if it’s cooked. If it’s nice and white inside, then it’s done.
‘Depending on the size of your pieces it should take about five to seven minutes but keep checking as you don’t want to overdo it either as it’ll be dry and tough.
‘If you have the thermometer then use 70 degrees as a good benchmark.’
Once you’ve got your crispy chicken tenders, it’s on to the dip.
Sweet and spicy dip recipe
Here is the Chick ‘n’ Sours recipe for sweet and spicy dip, which you can whip up in just a few minutes.
What you need
- 2tbsp dried shrimp (optional)
- Two peeled garlic cloves
- One to six red Bird’s Eye chilli (depending on how fiery you like it)
- 3tbsp lime juice
- 1tbsp tamarind water
- 2tbsp fish sauce
- 3tbsp palm sugar
Instructions
Chop chillies into small pieces, along with the garlic. Then shave the palm sugar with a knife.
Add to blender with all other ingredients and blitz until smooth.
Sriracha sour cream dip recipe
Alternatively, you can try Chick ‘n’ Sours popular Sriracha sour cream dip, which is even easier to make.
All you need is 60g of sour cream (any brand is fine), 15g of Sriracha, half a tablespoon of chopped chives and a pinch of salt.
Whip it together in a bowl, and you’re done.
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Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/30/how-make-amazing-fried-chicken-home-dip-recipes-13197889/
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