RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Karen Selwyn Chicken, Fried for Hanukkah #2: Pollo Fritto per Chanuka - meat
This recipe comes from a monthly magazine of Italian cooking, THE MAGAZINE OF LA CUCINA ITALIANA (December '97). The magazine used to have two columns of kosher Italian recipes as a regular feature. The December '97 issue was the last installment for those columns. The recipe is written exactly as it appeared in the magazine, but I was not happy with the results the first time I made the recipe. I have included all the great recommendations I received from Mimi Hiller for rescuing this dish and turning it into something a Tuscan grandmother might have served proudly instead my less-than-successful first effort. My second attempt was radically different; Mimi's instructions worked fabulously. Karen Selwyn Serves 6 1 chicken (I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts) 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil juice of 1 lemon 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 cup flour 2 eggs Cut each breast quarter into bite-sized pieces. Do the same with each leg quarter. (You will have approximately 24 pieces total). Combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, parsley, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Add the chicken pieces, turning to coat well. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Whisk the flour into the eggs. Dilute with enough water to make a thin batter and place chicken pieces in it. Heat the remaining oil until it is moderately hot (about 325 degrees on a thermomenter). Drop in the chicken pieces and deep-fry until golden and crisp, turning once to ensure even cooking. Remove with a slotted spoon and blot dry on paper towels. Serve immediately. * * * * * * * Mimi says: I would make several changes to help this along. 1) Increase the cayenne AND add some Tabasco-type sauce to the marinade (maybe 1/4 tsp.) 2) Do not use salt in the marinade. Since it has moisture- leeching tendencies, you don't need anything producing more liquid inside the batter. You can always salt the chicken after it's cooked... or leave it out entirely. If there's enough flavor, no one will miss it. 3) Drain the chicken in a wire sieve for at least 10 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels...and repeat the patting with fresh paper towels. 4) Definitely dredge the chicken in flour before the batter. In fact, if you really wanted to use salt, put it in the flour. Be sure to shake off all the excess. 5) I would think that 325F is not hot enough for the oil. I'd like to recommend a minimum of 350F, though most recipes I've seen call for 375. (I'm thinking that might be too high if you're only using chucks of white meat.) Mimi Hiller
