The Meat Hook Meat Book by Tom Mylan

Author:Tom Mylan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Artisan
Published: 2014-11-01T16:00:00+00:00

Pies-’n’-Thighs Lil’ Supper

Pies-’n’-Thighs, a Williamsburg fried chicken institution, was the first successful restaurant business opened by someone I knew. It showed me that you could take a huge chance and actually succeed. Inspirational bullshit aside, Pies-’n’-Thighs makes damn good fried chicken. Carolyn Bane is the Pies-’n’-Thighs fried chicken czar, and this is the dream dinner. Serves 4

For the Brine

1 cup kosher salt

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

4 quarts water

1 chicken, 3½ to 4 pounds

2 cups peanut oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons kosher salt

4 potato buns, split

Mayonnaise

4 tablespoons MH Barbecue Sauce

Dill pickles, sliced into thin rounds

Special Equipment

Large bowl or nonreactive food-safe container

5-inch boning knife

Cut-proof gloves (see Note) or disposable gloves

Deep-fry thermometer

1. Combine all the ingredients for the brine in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat, then turn off the heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer the brine to a large bowl or nonreactive food-safe container, cover, and refrigerate until completely cold.

2. While you’re waiting for the brine to chill, pull out a cutting board, 5-inch boning knife, and chicken, and put on your gloves. Cut off the leg/thigh by running the knife between the thigh and the pelvis on one side of the chicken. Repeat on the other side. Separate the thighs from the drumsticks by cutting through the knee joints.

3. Next, cut out the back of the chicken by following the natural line where the bottom and top ribs meet in the rib cage with your knife, cutting down on either side. Then split the whole breast in half by cutting through the breastbone. Be careful here, as you’ll need to use some force to get through the bone. Finally, cut each breast crosswise in half. Freeze the carcass for stock.

4. Place the chicken pieces in the brine. Cover and let sit overnight in the fridge.

5. The next day, pour the peanut oil into a large, deep cast-iron skillet (it should be 1½ inches deep) and heat over medium heat to 325° to 350°F—no hotter.

6. Put the flour and salt in a large Ziploc bag and shake it for about 30 seconds to combine well. Throw the chicken straight from the brine into the bag—you want the chicken to be wet so that the flour really adheres. Seal the bag and give the chicken a 30-second shake. Transfer the pieces to a plate and discard the bag.

7. Fry the chicken in batches of 2 to 3 pieces, turning every minute or so, until golden and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pan, and make sure your oil gets back up to temperature before putting in the next batch. Place the finished chicken pieces on several layers of paper towels and allow to drain while you finish the rest.

8. To serve, cut or pull the chicken off the bone and thickly slice it. Spread mayonnaise and barbecue sauce on both sides of each bun. Place slices of fried chicken on each bun, top with pickles, and serve.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.