Crispy Fried Chicken Wings

I like my fried chicken to have a crispy exterior, but I don't like it covered with a thick batter.  I used to simply drench the chicken in flour, but after tasting my friend Aiai's chicken, I realized my version was inferior.  I asked her how she made it and she said she marinated the chicken in soysauce and then used rice flour to coat the pieces.  Rice flour is not something I generally have at home, and I couldn't imagine how it could really make that much difference. So, like an idiot, I ignored this tip for years, until I bought a bag of rice flour for a cookie recipe.  This week, when I made fried chicken, I used the rice flour.  It really made a difference:  the exterior was beautifully crispy.  So rice flour.  Just buy it.

While it sounds very fiddly to deep fry at home, I have found that it is really quite easy and the clean up is not as horrible as I imagined. I keep a big bottle of oil for frying.  After each frying session, I let the oil cool in the pot.  Then I take seive and pour the oil into a large measuring cup, seiving out all the particles.  I pour the oil back into the bottle and put it away, ready to use for the next time I crave fried chicken.

You do not need any special equipment for deep frying except a thermometer.  It is impossible to keep the temperature steady on the stove top if you don't know what the temperature of the oil is.  Yes, you can do it without a thermometer, but you will get very uneven results because the oil temperature fluctuates very quickly.

Otherwise, this is not so much a recipe as a method.  If I am frying drumsticks for dinner, then I allow about 3 drumsticks per person. Chicken wings have much less meat on them, so I allow about 6 per person for a main course, although I more often serve them as a starter or snack.

I generally serve my fried chicken plain, with no sauce. I don't think it needs a sauce since the chicken is so flavorful after having been marinated in soysauce.

Chicken wings or drumsticks

soysauce

whole garlic cloves, optional

rice flour

salt and pepper

oil for frying

Take your chicken wings or drumsticks and put into a bowl or dish and sprinkle liberally with soysauce.  If you like garlic, then crush a few cloves with a garlic press and rub it into the chicken.  Leave the chicken to marinade for at least an hour, but ideally overnight in the refrigerator.  If you can remember to toss the chicken around every now and then, that is even better.

When you are ready to fry the chicken, take a large pot and fill with a neutral frying oil at least one inch deep, but preferably closer to two inches.  Put in a thermometer and heat until 350 degrees F (about 180C).

On a large plate, pour a bunch of rice flour.  Mix in a generous amount of salt and pepper.  Take each wing or drumstick, shake off any liquid, and drench in the seasoned rice flour, so that all the surface area is covered in a thin layer of flour.

When the oil is heated, put in 6 to 7 wings (or about 5 drumsticks), depending on the size of your pot.  You don't want to crowd the meat.  Fry until it is golden brown, turning occasionally if the oil does not quite cover the meat. Remember to keep your eye on the thermometer and adjust the heat to maintain an even tempeature. 

It will take about 6 minutes to fry wings and about 10 minutes to fry drumsticks.  The exact amount of time will depend on the actual heat and size of the wings or drumsticks.  To test if they are ready, put the tip of the knife into the meatiest part of a wing or drumstick and if clear juices run out, the chicken is done. Remove the chicken and lay on a plate covered with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

These are best served hot, but are also delicious at room temperature.

Chorizo and Potato Tacos

Maybe I should rename this the taco blog!  I do love a good taco and this is my current favorite.  It might sounds a bit odd to have potatoes in a taco but I can promise you that it is delicious.

The inspiration for these tacos was from a trip to the Mexican island of Cozumel.  We spent a heavenly week there, some years ago, at a lovely resort, sunbathing, scuba diving, snorkling, and of course eating!

On the very last day of our trip, we managed to find the local food market.  And in the middle of the market was a taco stand...a wonderful amazing taco stand with a huge variety of fillings.  One of these fillings was potato and chorizo, and it was sublime.

For the chorizo, I am using the fresh variety which must be cooked, not the dried type that you would eat sliced with cheese.  The flavors are very similar but the texture is different.  If you can't find the fresh type, then you could use the dried but just make sure to chop it quite finely, so you don't get big chunks of hard sausage.

You can use whatever kind of potatoes you like--it doesn't matter whether or not they are a boiling or mashing variety because the potato does not have to hold its shape.

Serves 4 to 5

about 750 grams potatoes
2 onions
400 to 500 grams fresh chorizo
about 12 small flour tortillas
salt and pepper to taste

To garnish
tomatoes
onion
cilantro
avocado
lime

First, you prepare boil the potatoes.  This can be done in advance. Peel the potatoes and put in a pot.  Fill with water and add a generous amount of salt.  Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to medium low.  Boil for 15 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked and are tender and can be easily pierced by a fork.  Drain the water from the potatoes, put a towel over the pot and the lid back on.  Set aside and leave to cool until you are ready to make your taco filling.

Prepare all the ingredients for the taco filling.  Chop the onions into medium sized pieces, chop the cooked potatoes into chunks.  Slice the skin of the chorizo lengthwise and peel off the skin.  Cut the naked chorizo into small chunks.

Heat a pan with a bit of olive oil and add the chorizo and onion. Saute on a medium heat, stirring now and then until the onions start to soften.  Add the potatoes.  Cook, stirring occassionally, until the onions and potatoes have some nice crispy bits and the chorizo is all cooked.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  I find usually that very little salt is necessary since the chorio adds enough flavor.

While this is happening, prepare your garnishes (onion, cilantro, tomato, and avocado), chopping each quite finely and putting them in separate bowls.  Cut a lime into wedges to squeeze over the mixture.

When the taco filling is cooked to your liking, put the pan on the table with the bowls of garnish and let everyone help themselves.