As an original hostess and chef extraordinaire, Martha Stewart has helped define the category of being a celebrity chef. She has created an empire out of her veritable cornucopia of perfected recipes that she so calmly and commandingly parses for the home cook. One of these perfected “master classes” covers her take on fried chicken. It also happens to be a favorite Southern classic of her pal, Snoop Dogg.
A foundational underpinning of Stewart’s fried chicken recipe begins before the chicken ever touches a marinade or dredge. Instead, it all starts with salted ice water. Once each chicken (she recommends two to three-pound fryers) is cut into eight to 10 pieces, she submerges the chicken in a bath of salted ice water overnight. This crucial step draws out any impurities, and it acts as a simple brining agent, permeating the chicken down to the bone to tenderize and add moisture to the meat.
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An ice bath brine creates tender and moist fried chicken
Raw chicken in cold brine. – Haha21/Getty Images
Though it may seem like a step that is easy to gloss over, Martha Stewart is loyal to this brining method. It produces fried chicken with a shattering, crunchy exterior and a toothsome yet moist interior. Once the chicken has been brined overnight, Stewart’s recipe proceeds with a buttermilk marinade to add extra flavor and tenderness. This moisture helps bind the flour and yellow cornmeal coating to the meat before it hits the frying oil.
To make chicken like Stewart, you’ll need a bit of patience. One of the best tips for making the perfect fried chicken is watching the temperature of your oil. Set the temperature to approximately 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and avoid dreaded fried chicken mistakes like not flipping the chicken enough or overcrowding the pan while it cooks. Additionally, you’ll want to check the temperature with a meat thermometer to determine that it’s cooked through (165 degrees Fahrenheit is the magic number here). Making Stewart’s recipe is definitely a labor of love, but by backing into the timing, it’s fairly painless to achieve. You and your guests will certainly be in for a treat, but be warned — you may be in for repeat requests.
Read the original article on Chowhound.
