WineLovers Discussion Group

Here's an in depth piece on how to achieve fried chicken nirvana including brining, marinading in buttermilk, etc, etc. Apologies to Robin, the timing was exquisite.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... 1823.story

The only problem I have with these "the-perfect-way-to-do-something" tips is this - they'll be going along just fine with solid technique and then in the middle somewhere I invariably see a step that is absolutely unnecessary to get a quality product. I watched Edge doing this on the tube the other day. I think I get a better product.

I, for one, think brining is a little too trendy and grotesquely overrated.

ChefCarey wrote:I, for one, think brining is a little too trendy and grotesquely overrated.

Hear, hear!

Certainly won't hurt, but not an essential part of the technique.

-Paul W.

I know its helped my turkeys on Thanksgiving, but I've never tried it for anything else.

I've only tried brining on shrimp (on recco from Robin) and I like the results. I'm curious about turkey. Gravy is an important part of my family's turkey tradition; will brining hurt the gravy?

TIA

ChefCarey wrote:The only problem I have with these "the-perfect-way-to-do-something" tips is this - they'll be going along just fine with solid technique and then in the middle somewhere I invariably see a step that is absolutely unnecessary to get a quality product. I watched Edge doing this on the tube the other day. I think I get a better product.

I, for one, think brining is a little too trendy and grotesquely overrated.

Edge? Who be dat? The only Edge I know is U2's guitarist.

Howard: I love the idea of brining to get a saturated salt flavor throughout the chicken, but doesn't the chicken end up too wet to fry well?

Howard: I love the idea of brining to get a saturated salt flavor throughout the chicken, but doesn't the chicken end up too wet to fry well?

I dunno, Jenise, at this point I can only read about this stuff, I don't do much deep frying. But the write up talks about draining after brining then marinating in buttermilk and hot sauce before creating the crust, so I'm guessing that if the crust sticks, it'll probably fry.

Maybe Edge from U2 is now cooking as his next career? That was the only I could think of, too.

C'mon Chef...who is Edge?

John T. Edge can describe it. In fact, in 2004, he wrote the book about it.

"Fried Chicken: An American Story" details his cross-country ramble in search of the perfect poultry. Edge, director of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi, found that fried chicken is universal, but good fried chicken is a peerless treasure.

from the above article that I read in the Chicago Tribune .
That's all I know