Gluten-Free Fried Chicken
In the years since I wrote my first gluten-free cookbook, Unbelievably Gluten-Free, there are so many more ingredients available that make the process of cooking without gluten easier. I wrote the book because many readers begged me to share easy, accessible, home-style gluten-free recipes. So, I started experimenting and found that you really can create gluten-free recipes the whole family will enjoy. It just takes the right ingredients and a bit of trial and error..
Take fried chicken, for example. You make it exactly as you would if done the old-fashioned way, dredged in seasoned flour, except you use a gluten-free flour blend, found everywhere. For the best fried chicken of any sort, either soak the chicken in buttermilk or salted water before dredging. Allow the chicken pieces to rest after dredging and before frying. And use a good, fresh oil for frying - I prefer peanut oil.
That’s it! Oh, and be generous with the salt and pepper in seasoning your flour blend. No one likes bland fried chicken. Plus, drain on brown paper and not paper towels, because the paper keeps the chicken crispy.
GLUTEN-FREE FRIED CHICKEN RECIPE:
Serves: 6 | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 30 to 35 minutes
1 chicken (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
2 cups buttermilk or salted ice water
1 cup gluten-free flour
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and seasoned salt
6 cups (48 ounces) peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
Rinse the chicken pieces under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels. Place the chicken in a glass or stainless steel bowl and pour the buttermilk or salted ice water over the chicken to cover it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.
Remove the chicken from the buttermilk or ice water and pat it dry. Place the gluten-free flour in a brown paper bag, and season it generously with salt, pepper, and seasoned salt. Shake to combine the flour and seasonings. Add a few pieces of chicken to the flour and toss or shake to coat it well. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Place them on a rack to dry out slightly while the oil heats.
Heat the oil to a depth of 2 inches in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until the oil registered 360 to 375 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Fry the chicken in batches, depending on the size of your skillet, frying only a couple pieces at a time. Place the chicken pieces in the oil, skin-side down, and brown on one side for 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn the pieces over and brown on the other side 5 minutes. Reduce the heat, cover, and let the chicken cook until it has cooked through and has an internal temperature of 170 degrees F measured on an instant-read meat thermometer, about 25 minutes. Remove the cover from the skillet during the last 5 minutes for a crispier crust.
Transfer the chicken to brown paper to drain, then serve warm.