Latin Fried Chicken
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS While each cuisine puts its own spin on the dish, Latin-style fried chicken is set apart by its garlicky-lime marinade and an extra-crunchy coating with lots of spice. Classic Latin fried chicken has a thin and crispy crust; we used a combination of flour cut with cornstarch for a nice, light coating and a little baking powder made it extra crisp. Refrigerating the marinated dredged chicken before frying made sure the coating set up nicely and thus stayed put on the chicken. Whether your idea of “South” is Savannah or San Salvador, this is one fried chicken recipe that you’re definitely going to want to make. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
SERVES 4
Don’t let the chicken marinate any longer than 2 hours or it will toughen from the lime juice. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more.
MARINADE |
|
2 |
tablespoons kosher salt |
6 |
garlic cloves, chopped coarse |
1 |
tablespoon pepper |
1 |
tablespoon ground cumin |
2 |
teaspoons smoked paprika |
2 |
teaspoons dried oregano |
2 |
teaspoons grated lime zest plus ¼ cup juice (2 limes) |
3 |
pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half crosswise, drumsticks, thighs, and/or wings), trimmed |
COATING |
|
1¼ |
cups all-purpose flour |
¾ |
cup cornstarch |
1 |
tablespoon pepper |
1 |
tablespoon granulated garlic |
1 |
teaspoon baking powder |
1 |
teaspoon white pepper |
1 |
teaspoon kosher salt |
1 |
teaspoon ground cumin |
¼ |
teaspoon cayenne pepper |
3 |
large egg whites, lightly beaten |
3 |
quarts peanut or vegetable oil |
1. FOR THE MARINADE: Combine salt, garlic, pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano, and lime zest and juice in bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.
2. FOR THE COATING: Whisk flour, cornstarch, pepper, granulated garlic, baking powder, white pepper, salt, cumin, and cayenne together in bowl. Place egg whites in shallow dish.
3. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Remove chicken from marinade and scrape off solids. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Working with 1 piece at a time, dip chicken into egg whites to thoroughly coat, letting excess drip back into dish. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer chicken to prepared wire rack and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
4. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 325 degrees. Add half of chicken to hot oil and fry until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, 13 to 16 minutes. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 300 and 325 degrees. Transfer chicken to clean wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Return oil to 325 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken. Serve.