The fried chicken that we all love today is a combination of so many foreign influences. First off, based on historical studies, from 7,500 to 5,000 B.C.E., wild fowl were domesticated in Southeast Asia. That was also the same period when stewed chicken from China, the Middle East, and West Africa was documented. From the Middle East it went to Egypt and it fed the builders of the pyramids. Then from Egypt, it was brought to the Mediterranean, and then towards the British Isles.
The fried chicken was first brought to the American shores by Scottish immigrants. The herbs and spices that are often mixed to the chicken today were brought by Africans during the slave trade period. This led to the crispy fried chicken that we can find today.
However, there are many elements that have to be considered for you to produce just the right kind of fried chicken. You need to look into the right kind of bird, the appropriate oil and flour to be used, and the manner in which the chicken is brined. The brine is the reason why the friend chicken is juicy, tender, and full of flavors. It is also important to check on the dredge or the breading of the chicken. The flour needs to be well seasoned, and the oil needs to have a high smoking point. This means that you can have a fried chicken with sumptuous crunchy skin without burning the chicken.
Today fried chicken is already a global thing. Thanks to KFC who made it possible. You can now find a Guatemalan fried chicken chain as well as a Korean fried chicken chain. You have ayam goreng from Indonesia and Italy’s pollo frito. It is easy to reinvent fried chicken and give it a local and distinct flavor which makes it truly popular.
There are three ways to make fried chicken; and when ordering for any fried chicken in Australia, it is easy to enjoy a variety of fried chicken based on the process used in its preparation. These three ways are deep-fried, pan-fried, and oven-fried.
Deep-fried chicken requires the use of fat that ensures a high smoking point. That means it has great tolerance of high heat. The oven-fried chicken is the lightened-up means of making fried chicken. It makes it crunchy but retaining what is essential to the original. The chicken skin is removed but the bones are intact. That’s how the bone-in chicken flavor is achieved while fat is reduced.
The fastest method of cooking fried chicken is the pan-fried. Boneless, skinless, and small yet tender chicken pieces can be used for this type of fried chicken. Because there is no skin and it is sliced to small pieces, it can be cooked in just a few minutes.