In so many areas of life, you have probably heard some version of the saying, “Little things can make a big difference.” That is certainly true in good cooking.
You’d be surprised by the number of times guests in my restaurants ask me why a dish tastes so good. They ask, “What’s your secret?”
Much of the time, the secrets amount to nothing more than paying attention to small details over and over throughout a recipe. And if you learn what those small details are yourself, and start caring about them in your own kitchen, your friends and family will rightly think you’re an excellent cook.
You can see the results in even the simplest, most home-style recipes. And I’d like to offer you a perfect example in a version of a traditional summertime and year-round favorite: skillet-fried chicken. From start to finish, little things in this recipe add up to delicious results.
Let’s start with the ingredients themselves. I like to use free-range organic chicken, which may cost a bit more but will taste so much better. Most good supermarket meat departments will cut up a whole chicken into serving pieces for you, or you can buy precut pieces in whatever combination of dark and white meat you prefer.
Next, I season the pieces with salt and pepper and marinate them in buttermilk. The slightly acidic milk helps tenderize the meat and makes it juicier, while the simple act of seasoning first keeps the finished results from tasting bland.
Speaking of seasonings, I also add them generously to the flour I use to coat the chicken, creating a really eye-opening flavor profile. A little rice flour added to the regular flour helps yield a crispier coating.
Successful frying depends on maintaining a hot, steady temperature. That ensures the chicken browns up well, without turning greasy, in the same time it takes for the meat to cook through. I also add a sprig of rosemary to the oil during cooking, which contributes a delicious aroma.
And then there’s one last secret. The moment frying is done, I heat up a little honey with a touch of cayenne and drizzle it over the chicken on the serving platter. That adds a wonderful touch of sweet-hot flavor to every bite. I also offer lemon wedges for guests who want some “zestiness” in their own portions.
All these little “secrets” seem ordinary on their own. But put them all together, and you get extraordinary results. Whether you serve the chicken hot from the skillet or pack it cold for a summertime picnic, everyone who eats it will declare you a genius in the kitchen.
CRISPY SKILLET-FRIED CHICKEN WITH A SPICY HONEY DRIZZLE
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 whole organic chicken, 3 to 3 1/4 pounds, cut into 8 large pieces for frying
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning the chicken
3 cups buttermilk
Peanut oil for frying
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon more for the glaze
1 teaspoon ground sweet or hot paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon celery salt
2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 or 2 lemons, cut into wedges
1/4 cup honey
Directions:
First, marinate the chicken: Place the chicken pieces on a baking sheet. Season on both sides with salt and black pepper. Pour the buttermilk into a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken, cover the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, turning occasionally.
Before frying, pour enough peanut oil to reach a depth of 1 inch in a heavy large skillet, preferably cast-iron. Heat the oil to 350 to 365 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer.
In a large sealable plastic bag, combine the flour, rice flour, white pepper, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder and celery salt. Close the bag and shake to blend. Remove 2 pieces of chicken from the buttermilk, place them in the bag, close the bag, and shake to coat them evenly. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Carefully add the chicken, skin side down, to the hot oil in the skillet. Fry until deep brown and cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes per side, depending on size, adjusting the heat to maintain the frying temperature; add the rosemary sprig to the oil, if you like. (A chicken piece will be cooked through if, after removing it from the oil, it registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat not touching bone.) Using tongs, transfer the cooked chicken to a rack.
Arrange the cooked chicken pieces on a napkin-lined platter. Place the lemon wedges around the chicken. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the honey. Stir in the extra cayenne to taste. Drizzle the honey over the chicken. Serve immediately.