Soul food is the foundation of American comfort food. That’s according to our guest, Chef Melba Wilson, who’ll dish up recipes for classics like fried chicken and waffles, pulled pork, po’ boys and much more.
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Throwdown Fried Chicken Recipe
Melba Wilson’s THROWDOWN FRIED CHICKEN
A lot of people might just give up on making fried chicken before they ever start, figuring there’s no way they’re going to be able to duplicate that crispy crust and moist, steamy, perfectly seasoned interior you get with a commercial deep-fryer. Might as well go to a restaurant or get takeout, right? Wrong! Great fried chicken is actually surprisingly easy to pull off at home if you just follow a few basic principles: Use a big enough pan or pot, keep the oil hot, don’t crowd the pan, take your time, put a lot of love into it, and have loads of fun.
This is the chicken that, along with my eggnog waffles, won Bobby Flay’s throwdown on national TV.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown mustard
2 cups buttermilk
Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Goya Sazonador seasoning
1. Put the chicken pieces in a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, paprika, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder. Add the mustard and, using your hands (clean, of course), work all the seasonings into the meat. Pour in the buttermilk, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
2. When ready to cook, pour 3 inches of oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably cast iron) and heat to 325 degrees over medium heat.
3. While the oil is heating, combine the flour and Sazonador seasoning in a large brown paper bag. Add a few pieces of chicken at a time to the seasoned flour and shake the bag like you really mean it. Fry the chicken in batches until it is beautifully brown and crispy on one side, about 15 minutes. Then turn and cook on the other side until the chicken registers 160 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer,
about another 15 minutes.
4. As the pieces are done, transfer them to drain on paper towels.
Copyright © 2016 by Melba Wilson from MELBA’S AMERICAN COMFORT published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Episode Credits
- Larry Meiller Host
- Jill Nadeau Producer
- Melba Wilson Guest
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