Fried Chicken, Caribbean Style
Whenever you’re deep-frying, remember this: A vessel with deep sides will reduce spattering. A broader vessel will allow you to fry more pieces at once but will require considerably more oil; a narrower vessel will conserve oil but will mean you must cook in batches. The choice is yours. Coconut Rice (page 516) or Plantains in Coconut Milk (page 472) would be sensational here, but as you know, fried chicken goes well with anything.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Toss the chicken in a bowl with the salt, pepper, curry, allspice, garlic, chile, 2 tablespoons water, and the egg. When thoroughly combined, blend in the flour, using your hands. The mixture will be a mess; keep mixing until most of the flour is blended with the other ingredients and coat the chicken—it will never be perfect, so don’t spend too much time on it. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to a day.
Step 2
When you’re ready to cook, put about 2 inches of oil in a skillet or large deep saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil reaches about 325°F—a pinch of flour will sizzle—you can begin to fry the chicken. Dredge each piece in any flour that remains in the bottom of the bowl and gently place in the oil. Do not crowd; cook in batches if necessary (this chicken will stay hot for a good 15 to 20 minutes after it’s done anyway). Fry, turning 3 or 4 times, until nicely browned all over, about 20 minutes. At that point the pieces will be done, but if you want to make sure, make a small slit in each piece and check for blood.
Step 3
Serve hot, warm, at room temperature, or cold, with lemon or lime wedges.
Fried Chicken, Thai Style (Southeast Asia)
Step 4
Not starkly different, but noticeably so: Omit the allspice; use a Thai chile if you have it. Add 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger to the mix and use 2 tablespoons soy sauce or nam pla (Thai fish sauce) instead of water. Everything else remains the same.
