chicken karaage: japanese fried chicken

Chicken Karaage: Japanese Fried Chicken

I’ve always had a thing for fried foods: french fries, onion rings, corn dogs, and doughnuts. You name it, if it’s fried, chances are good that I’d love it.  Without a doubt, my favorite fried food is fried chicken. When I make it at home, I used to use a  traditional Southern fried chicken recipe with buttermilk until I discovered chicken karaage, Japanese fried chicken, or JFC, for short. Now, it’s my go-to fried chicken recipe. Continue reading

fried shishito peppers with sea salt and lemon

I have never liked peppers, partly because I don’t have a high tolerance for spicy foods and because I don’t really care for their taste.  When I do use them, mostly in the form of bell peppers, it is mainly to add color to stir-fries, salads, and kabobs.  Then, last year, I discovered one exception to my great dislike for peppers in the form of the jalapeño. They have a moderate “kick” to them, but they’re not intense, especially when seeded and their membranes are removed. They became a slight obsession, even planting them in my garden so I could have a steady supply of them.  Continue reading

twice-cooked french fries with sriracha mayonnaise

 

I seldom make french fries at home, and when I do, I usually purchase the frozen kind and bake them in the oven.  This time around, I decided to make them myself as the accompaniment to the lamb sliders I shared with you a few days ago.  Making the perfect fries, golden brown potatoes with a soft and creamy inside and crunchy exterior, takes a bit of time and effort. It involves cutting the potatoes uniformly into the desired shape, soaking the cut potatoes in water and then frying them twice, first at a low temperature to cook them through and then at a higher temperature just before service to brown and crisp them. Continue reading

Country Fried Chicken

 

I woke up yesterday morning with a craving for fried chicken, and as luck would have it, we had a package of chicken thighs.  After more digging around in the freezer, I also found some leftover frozen biscuits and a package of Trader Joe’s frozen sweet potato fries.  With that, grease-laden lunch was born!  I got my Presto Fry Daddy, which does not get much use these days, and filled it with peanut oil.  While the oil was heating up to 350 degrees, I put together my wet and dry ingredients for the fried chicken.  I didn’t have any buttermilk (and didn’t want to go to the store), so I used whole milk instead.  After frying the chicken, I brought up the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees and put the sweet potato fries in the fryer for about 3 minutes.

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