Chef Michael Kaisaris
Batter:
INGREDIENTS
1 cup potato starch
½ cup rice flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
METHOD
Add all ingredients into a fine mesh sieve, and sift together into a large bowl. The bowl should be big enough for the batter mix and as many pieces of chicken as you want to bread (suggested amount is eight or ten).
Whisk the sifted batter together until there are no distinct pockets of any of the flours.
Chicken:
INGREDIENTS
Up to 10 chicken thigh or drumstick pieces. (Note: Leg meat tends to stay more moist – if you must use white meat, make sure to buy bone-in, skin-on pieces).
Re-up BBQ spice rub
French’s yellow mustard
6L rice bran oil (can be substituted with peanut oil, or canola oil as a last resort)
METHOD
Dust each piece of the chicken on all sides with spice rub, and then toss the seasoned chicken with mustard (enough to lightly coat it). Seal the chicken in a zip lock bag and refrigerate overnight.
To fry the chicken:
Note: Working with an open flame can be dangerous – we recommend placing a fire extinguisher next to the stove.
Fill a ten- or twelve-quart pot no more than half way with oil. Attach a candy thermometer to the pot, and heat the oil on the stove until it reaches 350 degrees F. Adjust the burner for the pot until the temperature of the oil is neither rising nor falling.
Before you start frying, set a metal cooling rack on a baking sheet pan, and position it on the counter next to the stove. Place some of the leftover spice rub in a shaker or bowl nearby.
To batter the chicken:
Whisk three or four whole eggs in a large bowl large. Add chicken pieces and coat by tossing with metal tongs. Remove each piece of chicken from the egg wash individually, and place in the batter bowl. Toss to coat, and immediately add each piece to the hot oil.
Fry 4 pieces of chicken at a time until all of your pieces have been fried (approximately 15 minutes for each batch). You’ll know they are done when they float to the surface. Do not fry too many pieces at a time, or the oil will become too cool to crisp the chicken. Monitor the temperature constantly, and increase if you notice it has dropped below 300 F for more than a minute or two. Gently remove the pieces with your metal tongs (plastic will melt) and rest them on the cooling rack.
Immediately begin to fry the second batch, or wait until the temperature has fully recovered to 350 F before frying.
Season each piece with a sprinkling of the spice rub and serve with an assortment of your favorite sauces.
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