Lola’s Love Language (Berkshire Eagle Column)
As I wrote below for my most recent Berkshire Eagle column, Lola was tremendously special to our family when we were young. And like me, her love language was cooking. I learned years later I could have been making bank if I had been more stubborn, because she used to give my sister, Linda, a quarter every time to get her to take a bath!
My fried chicken will never taste the same to me as Lola’s did, because there is something special about knowing someone cooked something for you with love. I hope people feel the same love from me when I cook for them.
FEAR OF FRYING
by Elizabeth Baer
When my sister and I were still quite young, our mother went back to school for a master’s in counseling. Because this meant she was often at class during after-school and early evening hours, our parents hired Lola to manage that stretch whenever necessary. Linda and I adored Lola, and while the dinners she made were always delicious, we had two favorites: spareribs made with a sauce she concocted using, among other ingredients, a condiment called “Saucy Susan,” and fried chicken. Lola’s fried chicken was moist and flavorful, with just enough dredge to give it a bit of crisp.
In later years, I would dream of her chicken that I could still taste in my imagination, but for many years I had a fear of frying. Though she didn’t recall anything specific, my mother once surmised that I must have gotten splattered with hot oil once and that made me nervous to try.
Of course, years later, I conquered that fear, and now will happily make fried food from time to time. However, there are several aspects of frying that make it more challenging for most home cooks. In addition to the hot oil, frying often involves so much oil it feels too wasteful. While there is still a fair amount of used oil at the end, we have been successfully making fried chicken for quite some time now, frying it in a shallower amount of oil than most people do, and certainly less oil than at a restaurant that has a deep fryer! (I know you can strain the oil after cooking and reuse it, but if you don’t fry often, that feels like a hassle.)
Another challenge involves temperature – both of the oil and of the chicken itself. To monitor that, I am so very grateful for the products from ThermoWorks, which are fast and reliable. For checking the oil temperature, I like to use the Thermapen, opened at an angle, sliding the sensor tip into shallow oil. For the chicken, the ThermoPop – a fantastic budget-friendly product – is our go-to because you can turn it on with one hand.
While fried chicken is not everyday fare, we love to make enough for a picnic (or work) lunch of cold fried chicken the next day!
FRIED CHICKEN
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces (each breast cut in two)
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided, plus more for sprinkling
3 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper, divided
1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
Canola oil for frying
DIRECTIONS:
Place all the pieces of chicken in a plastic bag and rest the bag in a bowl in case of leakage. Pour the buttermilk into the bag, and add maple syrup, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, smoked paprika, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Close the bag and massage gently to mix the ingredients without getting any holes in the bag. Place the bag and bowl in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.
Remove the pieces of chicken from the buttermilk one by one, letting excess drip off into the sink before placing on a plate. Blot the pieces with paper towel, then let sit for 30-60 minutes to dry a bit.
In a double paper bag, combine flour, remaining tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Place three pieces of chicken at a time into the bag, fold the top over, and shake to coat with the flour mixture. Set the pieces onto a clean plate.
Pour canola oil to a depth of around ½-inch into a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Cast iron or enameled cast iron works best here. Heat the oil on medium-high until it reaches a temperature of 350°F as determined with an instant-read thermometer.
As the oil gets up to temperature, take three pieces of chicken, return to the paper bag with the flour mixture and shake again. Gently place the pieces skin side down in the oil. Depending on the size of your pan you may be able to get four or five pieces in the pan at a time, but it is important not to crowd the pan. The oil temperature will decrease but try to keep it between 325°-350°F. Watch the pieces carefully and if any start to burn, lower the heat a bit. Cook for about five minutes until golden brown. Turn the pieces skin side up and cook for another 5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160-165°F. (The USDA recommends 165°F, but the chicken will continue to cook for a few minutes after being removed from the oil.)
As the pieces finish cooking, remove from the oil onto a paper towel-lined plate, and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.