Fried chicken#Racial stereotype

{{About|the style of fried chicken that originated in the Southern United States|other fried chicken dishes|List of fried chicken dishes}}

{{Redirect|Southern fried chicken|the restaurant chain|Southern Fried Chicken}}

{{Infobox food

|image = Fried-Chicken-Set.jpg

|caption = Clockwise from top left: A fried chicken breast, wing, thigh, and leg

|country = United States

|region = American South

|course = Entrée

|served = Hot or cold

|similar_dish = Schnitzel

|main_ingredient = Chicken, batter or seasoned flour}}

Fried chicken, also called Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or crust to the exterior of the chicken while retaining juices in the meat. Broiler chickens are most commonly used.

The first dish known to have been deep fried was fritters, which were popular in the European Middle Ages. However, the Scottish were the first to have been recorded as deep frying their chicken in fat with breadcrumbs and seasonings, as evidenced by a recipe in a 1747 cookbook by Hannah Glasse{{Cite book |last=Glasse |first=Hannah |title=The Art of Cookery |publisher=Library of Congress Cataloguing |year=1747 |isbn=978-0-486-80576-4}}{{Cite web |title=The surprising origin of fried chicken |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20201012-the-surprising-origin-of-fried-chicken}} and a 1773 diary entry describing fried chicken on the Isle of Skye.{{Cite web |title=The surprising origin of fried chicken |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20201012-the-surprising-origin-of-fried-chicken |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=www.bbc.com}} The first known recipe in the US did not contain the seasonings that were in the earlier Scottish recipe. There is an English cookbook from 1736 which mentions fried chicken, the “Dictionarium Domesticum”, by Nathan Bailey, where it is called “a marinade of chickens”.{{Cite web |title=Dictionarium domesticum, being a new and compleat houshold [sic] dictionary, for the use both of city and country ... / By N. Bailey. |url=https://wellcomecollection.org/works/b6s9bf55/items |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=Wellcome Collection |language=en}} Meanwhile, in later years many West African peoples had traditions of seasoned fried chicken (though battering and cooking the chicken in palm oil).

History

File:Karaage - Tora Taverna Japonesa.jpg fried chicken karaage]]

The expression "fried chicken" was first recorded in the 1830s,{{Cite web |title=fried {{!}} Etymology of fried by etymonline |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/fried#etymonline_v_40851 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=www.etymonline.com |language=en}} and frequently appears in American cookbooks of the 1860s and 1870s.E.g.The United States Cook Book: A Complete Manual for Ladies, Housekeepers and Cook (1865), p. 104. [https://n2t.net/ark:/85335/m58p60j17 Marion Harland, Common Sense in the Household: A Manual of Practical Housewifery (1874)], p. 90. The origin of fried chicken in the southern states of America has been traced to precedents in Scottish{{Cite book |last1=Sumnu |first1=Servet Gulum |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RgU9u9oUSDQC |title=Advances in Deep-Fat Frying of Foods |last2=Sahin |first2=Serpil |date=December 17, 2008 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=9781420055597 |pages=1–2 |language=en |quote=The origin of fried chicken is Scotland and the southern states of America. Fried chicken had been in the diet of Scottish people for a long time. Because slaves were allowed to feed only chickens, fried chicken became the dish that they ate on special occasions. This tradition spread to all African-American communities after the abolition of slavery.}}{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofam00mari|url-access=registration|last=Mariani|first=John F.|publisher=Lebhar-Friedman|location=New York|date=1999|pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofam00mari/page/305 305–306]|isbn=9780867307849 |quote=The Scottish, who enjoyed frying their chickens rather than boiling or baking them as the English did, may have brought the method with them when they settled the South. The efficient and simple cooking process was very well adapted to the plantation life of the southern African-American slaves, who were often allowed to raise their own chickens.}} quoted at {{Cite web |last=Olver |first=Lynne |title=history notes-meat |url=http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmeats.html#friedchicken |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/65d4bspXs?url=http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmeats.html#friedchicken |archive-date=February 21, 2012 |access-date=June 20, 2009 |publisher=The Food Timeline}}.{{Cite book |last=Robinson |first=Kat |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gq-NCQAAQBAJ |title=Classic Eateries of the Arkansas Delta |date=October 21, 2014 |publisher=The History Press |isbn=9781626197565 |quote=Most settlers from Europe were accustomed to having their chicken roasted or stewed. The Scots are believed to have brought the idea of frying chicken in fat to the United States and eventually into the Arkansas Delta in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Similarly, African slaves brought to the South were sometimes allowed to keep chickens, which didn't take up much space. They flour-breaded their pieces of plucked poultry, popped it with paprika and saturated it with spices before putting it into the grease.}}{{Page needed|date=October 2024}} and West African cuisine.{{Cite book |last1=Rice |first1=Kym S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T4_Qaju1WyoC&pg=PA109 |title=World of a Slave: Encyclopedia of the Material Life of Slaves in the United States [2 volumes]: Encyclopedia of the Material Life of Slaves in the United States |last2=Katz-Hyman, Martha B. |date=2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-34943-0 |pages=109–110 |quote=Chickens also were considered to be a special dish in traditional West African cuisine. ... Chickens were ... fried in palm oil. ... Pieces of chicken fried in oil sold on the street ... would all leave their mark on the developing cuisine of the early South.}}{{Cite book |last=Kein |first=Sybil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HSKsSihlN7IC&pg=PA246 |title=Creole: The History and Legacy of Louisiana's Free People of Color |date=2000 |publisher=LSU Press |isbn=978-0-8071-2601-1 |pages=246–247 |quote=Creole fried chicken is another dish that follows the African technique: "the cook prepared the poultry by dipping it in a batter and deep fat frying it}}{{Cite book |last=Opie |first=Frederick Douglass |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UMIlaqxv01sC&pg=PT36 |title=Hog and Hominy: Soul Food from Africa to America |date=2013 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-51797-3 |page=18 |quote=the African-American preference for yams and sweet potatoes, pork, chicken, and fried foods also originated in certain West African culinary traditions}}Worral, Simon (December 21, 2014) [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/12/141221-chickens-civilization-avian-flu-locavore-turkey-ngfood-booktalk/ "The Surprising Ways That Chickens Changed the World"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222013627/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/12/141221-chickens-civilization-avian-flu-locavore-turkey-ngfood-booktalk/ |date=December 22, 2014 }}. National Geographic: "When slaves were brought here from West Africa, they came with a deep knowledge of the chicken, because in West Africa the chicken was a common farm animal and also a very sacred animal. The knowledge that African-Americans brought served them very well, because white plantation owners for the most part didn't care much about chicken. In colonial times there were so many other things to eat that chicken was not high on the list." Scottish fried chicken was battered with seasonings and deep fried in lard and West African fried chicken added different seasonings,{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Adrian |title=The surprising origin of fried chicken |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20201012-the-surprising-origin-of-fried-chicken |access-date=March 23, 2023 |work=BBC |date=October 13, 2022 |language=en}} and was battered{{Cite book |last=Opie |first=Frederick Douglass |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UMIlaqxv01sC&pg=PT11 |title=Hog and Hominy: Soul Food from Africa to America |date=2013 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-51797-3 |page=11 |quote=West African women batter dipped and fried chicken" and "The African-American practice of eating chicken on special occasions is also a West Africanism that survived the slave trade. Among the Igbo, Hausa, and Mande, poultry was eaten on special occasions as part of religious ceremonies.}} and cooked in palm oil. African seasoning techniques were used in the American South by enslaved Africans.

Fried chicken provided some means of an independent economy for enslaved and segregated African-American women, who became noted sellers of poultry (live or cooked) as early as the 1730s though this was cooked on a griddle.{{Cite book |last=Mitchell |first=Patricia |title=Plantation row slave cabin cooking |year=1998 |pages=367}}{{Cite book |last1=Rice |first1=Kym S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T4_Qaju1WyoC |title=World of a Slave: Encyclopedia of the Material Life of Slaves in the United States [2 volumes]: Encyclopedia of the Material Life of Slaves in the United States |last2=Katz-Hyman |first2=Martha B. |date=December 13, 2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=9780313349430 |pages=109 |language=en |access-date=August 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503090052/https://books.google.com/books?id=T4_Qaju1WyoC |archive-date=May 3, 2016 |url-status=live}} Because of the expensive nature of the ingredients, it was, despite popular belief, a rare dish in the African-American community reserved (as in Africa) for special occasions.

When it was introduced to the American South, Southern fried chicken became a common staple. Later, as the slave trade led to Africans being brought to work on southern plantations, the enslaved people became cooks.{{Cite book |last=Beeton |first=Isabella |title=The book of household management column 2 |date=1861 |publisher=Ex classica project |location=England |publication-date=2009 |pages=947}} Since most enslaved people were unable to raise expensive meats, but were generally allowed to keep chickens, frying chicken on special occasions continued in the African-American communities of the South, especially in the periods of segregation that closed off most restaurants to the black population.{{Cite news |date=July 2, 2021 |title=American fried chicken has its origins in slavery |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/07/02/american-fried-chicken-has-its-origins-in-slavery |access-date=March 29, 2022 |issn=0013-0613}}

American-style fried chicken gradually passed into everyday use as a general Southern dish, especially after the abolition of slavery, and its popularity spread. Since fried chicken traveled well in hot weather before refrigeration was commonplace and industry growth reduced its cost, it gained further favor across the South. Fried chicken continues to be among this region's top choices for "Sunday dinner". Southern Jews blended Southern and Jewish foodways to make fried chicken a mainstay of Shabbat dinners alongside charoset and braided loaves of challah.{{cite book |editor1-last=Lippy |editor1-first=Charles H. |editor2-last=Wilson |editor2-first=Charles Reagan |editor3-last=Hill |editor3-first=Samuel S. |title=Encyclopedia of Religion in the South |date=2005 |publisher=Mercer University Press |page=408}}{{cite book |editor1-last=Nadell |editor1-first=Pamela S. |title=American Jewish Women's History: A Reader |date=2003 |publisher=NYU Press |page=266}}

Holidays such as Independence Day and other gatherings often feature this dish.[http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-Welcoming-You-To-Kik-Culinary-Corner-And-History-Of-Some/295344 History of Fried Chicken : I Am Welcoming You to Kik Culinary Corner and History of Some Story & Experience] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226131059/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-Welcoming-You-To-Kik-Culinary-Corner-And-History-Of-Some/295344 |date=December 26, 2017 }}. Experienceproject.com (August 19, 2008). Retrieved on January 30, 2012. During the 20th century, chain restaurants focused on fried chicken began among the boom in the fast food industry. Brands such as Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Popeyes expanded in the United States and across the world.

Before the industrialization of chicken production and the creation of broiler breeds of chicken, only young spring chickens (pullets or cockerels) would be suitable for the higher heat and relatively fast cooking time of frying making fried chicken a luxury of spring and summer. Older, tougher birds require longer cooking times at lower temperatures. To compensate for this, sometimes tougher birds are simmered till tender, allowed to cool and dry, and then fried.[http://www.southernfriedchickenrecipe.com/Fried-Chicken-Articles/history-of-fried-chicken.php History of Fried Chicken through the Ages] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112043731/http://www.southernfriedchickenrecipe.com/Fried-Chicken-Articles/history-of-fried-chicken.php|date=November 12, 2011}}. Southernfriedchickenrecipe.com. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.

Description

File:Fried chicken, fried okra and mac & cheese from Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta.jpg, and macaroni and cheese]]

Fried chicken has been described as being "crunchy" and "juicy",{{Cite web |title=Southern Living's Best Fried Chicken Recipe |url=http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014738-southern-livings-best-fried-chicken |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160522162142/http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014738-southern-livings-best-fried-chicken |archive-date=May 22, 2016 |access-date=May 21, 2016 |website=The New York Times |department=Cooking}} as well as "crispy".{{Cite web |title=Adobo-Fried Chicken Recipe |url=http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014734-adobo-fried-chicken |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160516172102/http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014734-adobo-fried-chicken |archive-date=May 16, 2016 |access-date=May 21, 2016 |website=The New York Times |department=Cooking}} The dish has also been called "spicy" and "salty".{{Cite web |title=The Food Lab: The Best Southern Fried Chicken |url=http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-best-southern-fried-chicken.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531004452/http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-best-southern-fried-chicken.html |archive-date=May 31, 2016 |access-date=June 4, 2016 |website=www.seriouseats.com}} Occasionally, fried chicken is also topped with chili like paprika, or hot sauce to give it a spicy taste.{{Cite news |date=January 9, 2014 |title=Spicy Fried Chicken With Honey and Pickles |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303433304579304511442795306 |url-status=live |access-date=May 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616171454/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303433304579304511442795306 |archive-date=June 16, 2016 |issn=0099-9660}} This is especially common in fast food restaurant chains such as KFC.{{Cite magazine |last=Waxman |first=Olivia B. |title=KFC Introduces Nashville Hot Chicken |url=https://time.com/4182303/kfc-nashville-hot-chicken/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520204151/http://time.com/4182303/kfc-nashville-hot-chicken/ |archive-date=May 20, 2016 |access-date=May 21, 2016 |magazine=Time}} The dish is traditionally served with mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, corn or biscuits.{{Cite web |last=Bruno |first=Pat |date=January 3, 1986 |title=Fried chicken worth clucking about |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3743737.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008201640/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3743737.html |archive-date=October 8, 2016 |access-date=September 4, 2016 |work=Chicago Sun-Times}}

The dish is renowned for being greasy, especially when coming from fast food outlets. It has even been reported that some of those who enjoy eating the food limit themselves to eating it only a certain number of times a year, to keep their fat intake reasonably low.{{Cite web |last=Galarneau |first=Andrew Z. |date=March 9, 2011 |title=Chicken fried right; When it's time to splurge, Buffalo has its share of restaurants serving crispy fried chicken |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-28146832.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008201608/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-28146832.html |archive-date=October 8, 2016 |access-date=September 4, 2016 |work=The Buffalo News}} Out of the various parts of the animal used in fried chicken, the wings generally tend to contain the most fat, with almost {{convert|40|g|oz}} of fat for every {{convert|100|g|oz}}.{{Cite web |title=Moisture and fat content Moisture and fat content of extra crispy fried of extra crispy fried chicken skin from breast, thigh, drum and wing |url=https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/80400525/Articles/EB07_Chicken.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611005755/https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/80400525/Articles/EB07_Chicken.pdf |archive-date=June 11, 2016 |access-date=May 21, 2016 |website=ars.usda.gov}} However, the average whole fried chicken contains only around 12% fat, or {{convert|12|g|oz}} per every {{convert|100|g|oz}}.{{Cite web |title=Chicken, broilers or fryers, light meat, meat and skin, cooked, fried, flour |url=https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/854?fgcd=&manu=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=35&offset=&sort=&qlookup=05031 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625142625/https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/854?fgcd=&manu=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=35&offset=&sort=&qlookup=05031 |archive-date=June 25, 2016 |access-date=June 3, 2016 |website=ndb.nal.usda.gov}} {{convert|100|g|oz}} of fried chicken generally contains around 240 calories of energy.

Preparation

File:Deep_frying_chicken_upper_wing.JPG

Generally, chickens are not fried whole. Instead, the chicken is divided into its constituent pieces.{{Cite web |title=How to Make the Best Fried Chicken – Cooking 101 – Cook's Country |url=https://www.cookscountry.com/101/fried-chicken-101.HowTo_feature_4 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160628193057/http://www.cookscountry.com/101/fried-chicken-101.HowTo_feature_4 |archive-date=June 28, 2016 |access-date=June 4, 2016 |website=www.cookscountry.com}} The white meat sections are the breast and the wings from the front of the chicken, while the dark meat sections are the thighs and legs or "drumsticks" from the rear of the chicken. The breast is typically split into two pieces, and the back is usually discarded.{{Cite web |title=Cutting Up Chicken – Kitchen Notes – Cooking For Engineers |url=http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/97/Cutting-Up-Chicken |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160522022455/http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/97/Cutting-Up-Chicken |archive-date=May 22, 2016 |access-date=June 4, 2016 |website=www.cookingforengineers.com}} Chicken fingers, which are boneless pieces of chicken breast cut into long strips, are also commonly used.{{Cite news |last=Ramzy |first=Austin |date=May 5, 2016 |title=KFC, With New Nail Polish, Redefines Chicken Fingers |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/world/asia/kfc-chicken-nail-polish.html |url-status=live |access-date=May 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509080414/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/world/asia/kfc-chicken-nail-polish.html |archive-date=May 9, 2016 |issn=0362-4331}}

To prepare the chicken pieces for frying, they are typically coated in a flour-based batter that may contain eggs or milk, or they may be dredged in flour or breadcrumbs. Seasonings such as salt, black pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, or onion powder can be mixed in with the flour. Either process may be preceded by marination or dipping in buttermilk, the acidity of which acts as a meat tenderizer. As the pieces of chicken cook, some of the moisture that exudes from the chicken is absorbed by the coating of flour and browns along with the flour, creating a flavorful crust.{{Cite web |title=The Science of Frying – FineCooking.com |url=http://www.finecooking.com/item/48328/the-science-of-frying |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160613005316/http://www.finecooking.com/item/48328/the-science-of-frying |archive-date=June 13, 2016 |access-date=June 4, 2016 |website=FineCooking.com}}

File:Paschal's fried chicken.jpg fried chicken, Atlanta, Georgia]]

Traditionally, lard is used to fry the chicken, but corn oil, peanut oil, canola oil, soybean oil, or other vegetable oils are also frequently used.{{Cite news |last=Pereira |first=Alyssa |date=June 22, 2016 |title=The internet is obsessing over this 18th century fried chicken recipe |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/The-internet-is-losing-it-over-this-18th-century-8318975.php |url-status=live |access-date=June 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622212829/http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/The-internet-is-losing-it-over-this-18th-century-8318975.php |archive-date=June 22, 2016}}{{Cite web |date=June 20, 2016 |title=Fried Chicken in the 18th Century? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsyjNef2ydQ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621152741/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsyjNef2ydQ |archive-date=June 21, 2016 |access-date=June 23, 2016 |publisher=YouTube}} The flavor of olive oil is generally considered too strong to be used for traditional fried chicken, and its low smoke point makes it unsuitable for use.[http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-southern-fried-chicken.htm What is Southern Fried Chicken?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113192547/http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-southern-fried-chicken.htm |date=November 13, 2011 }}. Wisegeek.com. Retrieved on January 30, 2012. There are three main techniques for frying chickens: pan frying,{{Cite web |title=Southern Pan-Fried Chicken Recipe |url=http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016127-southern-pan-fried-chicken |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160524185342/http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016127-southern-pan-fried-chicken |archive-date=May 24, 2016 |access-date=May 21, 2016 |website=The New York Times |department=Cooking}} deep frying{{Cite web |date=December 23, 2014 |title=How to Make Thai-Style Deep Fried Chicken Thighs |url=http://magazine.foxnews.com/recipe/how-make-thai-style-deep-fried-chicken-thighs |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616235235/http://magazine.foxnews.com/recipe/how-make-thai-style-deep-fried-chicken-thighs |archive-date=June 16, 2016 |access-date=May 21, 2016 |website=Fox News Magazine}} and broasting.{{Cite news |title=This chicken's not roasted, broiled or fried. It's BROASTED. Good luck finding it, though |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/food/2004/04/21/this-chickens-not-roasted-broiled-or-fried-its-broasted-good-luck-finding-it-though/63ba6fe5-6af4-45bc-b0c3-8a8b26d8ea87/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507013424/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/food/2004/04/21/this-chickens-not-roasted-broiled-or-fried-its-broasted-good-luck-finding-it-though/63ba6fe5-6af4-45bc-b0c3-8a8b26d8ea87/ |archive-date=May 7, 2016 |access-date=May 21, 2016 |newspaper=Washington Post}}

Pan frying (or shallow frying) requires a frying pan of sturdy construction and a source of fat that does not fully immerse the chicken.{{Cite web |title=Pan Frying – Food Reference Cooking Basics – Food For Thought |url=http://www.foodreference.com/html/art-pan-frying.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609212453/http://www.foodreference.com/html/art-pan-frying.html |archive-date=June 9, 2016 |access-date=June 4, 2016 |website=www.foodreference.com}} The chicken pieces are prepared as above, then fried. Generally, the fat is heated to a temperature hot enough to seal (without browning, at this point) the outside of the chicken pieces. Once the pieces have been added to the hot fat and sealed, the temperature is reduced. There is debate as to how often to turn the chicken pieces, with one camp arguing for often turning and even browning, and the other camp pushing for letting the pieces render skin side down and only turning when necessary. Once the chicken pieces are close to being done, the temperature is raised and the pieces are browned to the desired color (some cooks add small amounts of butter at this point to enhance browning). The moisture from the chicken that sticks and browns on the bottom of the pan becomes the fonds required to make gravy.{{Cite web |date=September 14, 2012 |title=Deglazing: What it Is and Why Do It |url=http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/deglazing-what-it-is-and-why-do-it/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525054041/http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/deglazing-what-it-is-and-why-do-it/ |archive-date=May 25, 2016 |access-date=June 4, 2016 |website=The Reluctant Gourmet |language=en-US}}

Deep frying requires a deep fryer or other devices in which the chicken pieces can be completely submerged in hot fat. The process of deep frying is placing food fully in oil and then cooking it at a very high temperature. The pieces are prepared as described above. The fat is heated in the deep fryer to the desired temperature. The pieces are added to the fat and a constant temperature is maintained throughout the cooking process.{{Cite web |title=How to deep-fry – How To Guides – Cooking tips |url=http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/446/how+to+deep+fry |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617133530/http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/446/how+to+deep+fry |archive-date=June 17, 2016 |access-date=June 4, 2016 |website=Taste.com.au}}

A pressure cooker can be used to accelerate the process.{{Cite web |title=How to make homemade Broasted Chicken |url=http://food.manoramaonline.com/food/dine-around/broasted-chicken-arab-dishes-kerala-non-veg-food-recipes.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725172718/http://food.manoramaonline.com/food/dine-around/broasted-chicken-arab-dishes-kerala-non-veg-food-recipes.html |archive-date=July 25, 2016 |access-date=July 21, 2016}} The moisture inside the chicken becomes steam and increases the pressure in the cooker, such that lowering the cooking temperature is needed. The steam also cooks the chicken through, but still allows the pieces to be moist and tender while maintaining a crisp coating. Fat is heated in a pressure cooker. Chicken pieces are prepared as described above and then placed in the hot fat. The lid is placed on the pressure cooker, and the chicken pieces are thus fried under pressure.[http://southernfood.about.com/od/friedchicken/Fried_Chicken_Recipes.htm Fried Chicken Recipes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023185815/http://southernfood.about.com/od/friedchicken/Fried_Chicken_Recipes.htm |date=October 23, 2011 }}. Southernfood.about.com (November 9, 2011). Retrieved on January 30, 2012. The original recipe used by the KFC franchise used this method, which was marketed as "broasting" by the Broaster Company.

The derivative phrases "country-fried" and "chicken-fried" often refer to other foods prepared in the manner of fried chicken. Usually, this means a boneless, tenderized piece of meat that has been floured or battered and cooked in any of the methods described. Chicken-fried steak is a common dish of that variety.{{Cite web |title=From John T. Edge: Chicken Fried Steak, Steamed Sandwiches, Georgia Barbecue |url=http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/from-john-t-edge-chicken-fried-steak-steamed-sandwiches-georgia-barbecue/?_r=0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208112101/https://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/from-john-t-edge-chicken-fried-steak-steamed-sandwiches-georgia-barbecue/?_r=0 |archive-date=December 8, 2018 |access-date=May 21, 2016 |department=Diner's Journal Blog |work=The New York Times| date=April 15, 2009 }} Such dishes are often served with gravy.{{Cite web |title=Charles Country Pan Fried Chicken |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/location/charles-country-pan-fried-chicken-6482746 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520020626/http://www.villagevoice.com/location/charles-country-pan-fried-chicken-6482746 |archive-date=May 20, 2016 |access-date=May 19, 2016 |website=Village Voice}}

Variants

Barberton chicken, also known as "Serbian fried chicken", is a version created by Serbian immigrants in Barberton, Ohio, that has been popularized throughout that state.{{Cite journal |last=Edge |first=John T. |date=Mar 2003 |title=The Barberton Birds |url=http://www.attachemag.com/archives/03-03/passions/passions2.html |journal=Attaché |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060216024007/http://www.attachemag.com/archives/03-03/passions/passions2.html |archive-date=February 16, 2006}}
Chicken and waffles is a combination platter of foods traditionally served at breakfast and dinner in one meal, common to soul food restaurants in the American South and beyond.{{Cite web |last=Myers |first=Dan |date=October 27, 2015 |title=America's best chicken and waffles |url=https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/americas-best-chicken-and-waffles |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609124058/http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/10/27/america-best-chicken-and-waffles/ |archive-date=June 9, 2016 |access-date=May 19, 2016 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}}
Hot chicken, common in the Nashville, Tennessee area, is a pan-fried variant coated with lard and cayenne pepper paste.{{Cite magazine |last=Waxman |first=Olivia B. |title=KFC Introduces Nashville Hot Chicken |url=https://time.com/4182303/kfc-nashville-hot-chicken/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520204151/http://time.com/4182303/kfc-nashville-hot-chicken/ |archive-date=May 20, 2016 |access-date=May 19, 2016 |magazine=Time}}
Popcorn chicken, also known as "chicken bites" or other similar terms, are small morsels of boneless chicken, battered and fried, resulting in small pieces that resemble popcorn.{{Cite web |date=April 26, 2006 |title=Recipe: Devin Alexander's KFC's Popcorn Chicken |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/story?id=1892432&page=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602033350/https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/story?id=1892432&page=1 |archive-date=June 2, 2016 |access-date=May 18, 2016 |website=ABC News}}

Health effects

A 2019 prospective cohort study of postmenopausal women found that consumption of at least one serving of fried chicken per week compared to no consumption is associated with a 13% increase in the risk of all-cause mortality, as well as with a 12% increase in the risk of cardiovascular mortality.{{cite journal |vauthors=Sun Y, Liu B, Snetselaar LG, Robinson JG, Wallace RB, Peterson LL, Bao W |title=Association of fried food consumption with all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: prospective cohort study |journal=BMJ |volume=364 |issue= |pages=k5420 |date=January 2019 |pmid=30674467 |pmc=6342269 |doi=10.1136/bmj.k5420 |url=}}

References

External links

{{Spoken Wikipedia|date=January 7, 2021|En-Fried-Chicken-article.ogg}}

{{Commons category-inline}}
[http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/creole-fried-chicken Austin Leslie's recipe in Food and Wine, adapted from John T. Edge's Fried Chicken]

Category:Chicken dishes

Category:Scottish cuisine

Category:Cuisine of the Southern United States

Category:American chicken dishes

Category:Soul food

Category:Street food

Category:Fast food

Category:Deep fried foods

Category:Shabbat food