SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN, ANDALUSIAN STYLE

 

Fried chicken dinner for the Fourth of July. The chicken is fried in olive oil. Those ripe tomatoes are Andalusian. The potato salad is Andalusian too.

Where I grew up in the Midwest, we used to spend the Fourth of July holiday at my aunt and uncle’s farm in southern Illinois. My aunt would dispatch a farmyard chicken, pluck it clean and hack it into pieces. They were floured and slow-fried in fat to a golden brown crunch. God, but that was good fried chicken. With green beans from the garden and a heap of corn-on-the-cob. 

I remember sparklers for the kids. And, right outside the screen porch, at the back of the house, was a big round cement cover over a cistern for catching rainwater. My uncle told us kids it was full of ice and cokey-cola. I could just picture those bottles nestled in heaps of ice. 

So, to celebrate the Fourth, U.S. Independence Day, I’m making “southern” fried chicken. But, the south is Andalusia! Wish I had some corn-on-the-cob to go with it.

Andalusian-style potato salad--patatas aliñadas--to go with the fried chicken. The recipe is here.

Crispy Olive Oil-Fried Chicken

Pollo Frito

American-style fried chicken gets marinated in buttermilk before flouring and frying. For the Andaluz version, I’ve used yogurt instead. (Allow at least two hours or overnight to marinate the chicken pieces.) I’ve used lots of pimentón de la Vera, smoked paprika, both sweet and picante, hot, for my seasoned flour. And, of course, the chicken is fried in extra virgin olive oil. 

The olive oil for frying needn’t be your finest. In heating, the oil loses some of the aromatic organoleptic qualities that are present in raw oil. Use enough oil to come up to a depth of about 1 inch in the pan. 

Heat the oil to about 360ºF /180ºC, which is well below the smoking point of olive oil. Don’t crowd the chicken pieces. Lower the heat to medium so the chicken cooks slowly without browning too quickly. If the temperature is too high, the pimentón (paprika) in the seasoned flour coating will darken. Turn the pieces after six to eight minutes and fry until the reverse side is browned. The chicken should be cooked through and golden-brown on the exterior. You may have to cut into one piece to test for doneness. Or test with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of a drumstick—it should read 165ºF. 

Olive oil used for frying can be strained and used again. Store it, covered, in a cool place shielded from light.

For my fried chicken, I’ve used all drumsticks, so timing is easier. You could use a whole, cut-up chicken 

Use plain flour and fine dry breadcrumbs or substitute gluten-free flour and crumbs for breading the chicken. You will not need all of the spice blend for seasoning the flour. The remainder can be stored in a jar and used for meat, fish, vegetables. 

Yogurt marinade.

Serves 4

For the marinade:

½ cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika)

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

Milk or water to dilute the marinade

8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds)

Seasoning blend.

For the seasoning blend:

2 tablespoons pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika)

1 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera picante (hot smoked paprika) 

1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon thyme

1 tablespoon crumbled oregano

Pinch of celery seeds

Flour, crumbs, seasoning.

For the seasoned flour:

1 cup flour, regular or gluten-free

¼ cup fine dry breadcrumbs, regular or gluten-free

1 tablespoon seasoning blend

For breading and frying the chicken:

1 medium egg

2 teaspoons water

Olive oil for frying

For the marinade: Whisk together the yogurt, salt, pimentón and lemon zest. Add about ¼ cup of milk to thin the marinade. 

Place the chicken in a bowl and pour over the marinade. Add the chicken pieces and turn them to cover all of the pieces. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. 

When ready to fry the chicken, drain the pieces of excess marinade.

For the seasoning blend:

Mix together the two kinds of pimentón, black pepper, salt, cumin, garlic powder, thyme, oregano and celery seeds. Only 1 tablespoon of the spice blend is needed for the seasoned flour. Store the remainder in a tightly capped jar.

For the seasoned flour:

Combine the flour, regular or gluten-free, with the breadcrumbs and seasoning blend. Spread the seasoned flour in a rimmed tray or shallow bowl. 

Beat the egg with the 2 teaspoons of water. Place in a shallow bowl. 

Drumsticks frying in olive oil.

Dredge the drained chicken drumsticks in the flour, coat them in beaten egg and dredge them again in the flour. Pat off excess flour and lay the breaded chicken pieces on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet or pan. (See headnotes for more about quantity of oil and frying temperature.) Place a layer of drumsticks in the oil and lower the heat to medium. Fry the chicken slowly until golden-brown on one side (about 6 minutes). Carefully turn the pieces and fry them on the reverse side until browned. Remove and drain the fried chicken on paper towels or on a wire rack set over a pan to catch any drips.

Remove and drain the fried chicken on paper towels or on a wire rack set over a pan to catch any drips.

Serve chicken hot, room temperature or cold.

More for the Fourth:

Corn-on-the-Cob.

Crispy-Fried Chicken Wings.