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CookingPoultry
ISBN 978-0-7704-3522-6

Clarkson
Potter

M a ry M ac s T e a Ro o m E l i z a b e t h K a r m e l P i e r r e T h i a m A s h a G o m e z H u g h Ac h e so n M a rc u s S a m u e l ss o n A rt S m i t h V e r s a i l l e s M aO n o

Clarkson Potter/Publishers

V e n e ss a W i l l i a m s M i c h a e l Ro m a n o A l e x R a i j C h a r l e s P h a n H i g h l a n d K i tc h e n R u st y H a m l i n T ujag u e C h a r l e s Ga b r i e l E l l i e K r i e g e r

Also available as an ebook

Cover design: Danielle Deschenes
Cover photographs: Evan Sung
Cover illustration: Shutterstock Orgus88

I n a P i n k n e y B i s c u i t Lov e T r u c k H o n e y s K e t t l e Pau l a D e e n

photographer based in Brooklyn. His work appears

regularly in the New York Times and he has worked
on cookbooks with some of the top chefs from around
the world.

FRIED & TRUE

More than 50 recipes for

americas BEST
f r i e d c h i c k e n and s i d e s

Foreword by Whoopi Goldberg

Lee Brian Schrager

with Adeena Sussman

Photographs by Evan Sung

R i c h To r r i s i & M a r i o C a r b o n e Scot t P e aco c k D o n a l d L i n k A n d r e w C a r m e l l i n i K e n n y & Z u k e ' s T h o m a s K e l l e r A r n o l d s Co u n t ry K i tc h e n

Evan Sung is a prominent food, lifestyle, and travel

FRIED & TRUE

ADEENA SUSSMAN is a food writer and recipe devel

oper who has been published in Food & Wine, Martha
Stewart Living, Cooking Light, Health, Self, and
Every Day with Rachael Ray, and on Epicurious.

Lee Brian Schrager

Network South Beach and New York City Wine & Food
Festivals. He is also the vice president of corporate
communications and national events at Southern
Wine & Spirits of America and the author of The Food
Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Cookbook.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Lee
has appeared on Today and Rachael Ray and serves
on the board of directors for the Food Bank for New
York City. He lives in Miami and New York City.

K e r m i t R u f f i n s & R ay B o o m B o o m E d S c h o e n f e l d T h e Lov e l e ss C a f M a rt h a Lo u s K i tc h e n E d i & T h e Wo l f W y l i e D u f r e s n e I va n o To sc a n i

LEE BRIAN SCHRAGER is the founder of the Food

M i c h e l l e B e r n st e i n Gav i n K ays e n H y Vo n g Jacq u e s P p i n St e v e n S at t e r f i e l d S e v e n Sows So n o f a G u n M a h a r l i k a

T h e O r i g i n a l E l Taco Sw e e t C h i c k Da l e Ta l d e Yota m Ot to l e n g h i M i c h a e l S o lo m o n ov J e f f M c I n n i s B l ac k b e r ry Fa r m

Whether you prefer it cold out of the fridge

or hot and crispy on a buttery biscuit, you will
find your new favorite fried chicken recipe in
Fried & True , serving up more than 50 recipes
for Americas most decadently delicious food.

Lee Schrager has left no stone unturned in his quest

to find Americas best fried chicken. From four-star
restaurants to roadside fry shacks, youll learn how
to brine your bird, give it a buttermilk bath, batter
or even double batter it, season with loads of spices,
and fry it up to golden perfection. Recipes to savor
include:
-- Hattie Bs Hot Chicken
-- Yotam Ottolenghis Seeded Chicken Schnitzel
with Parsley-Caper Mayonnaise
-- Marcus Samuelssons Coconut Fried Chicken
with Collards and Gravy
-- Jacques-Imos Fried Chicken and Smothered
Cabbage
-- The Loveless Cafs Fried Chicken and Hash
Brown Casserole
-- Blackberry Farms Sweet TeaBrined Fried
Chicken
-- Charles Phans Hard Water Fried Chicken
-- Thomas Kellers Buttermilk Fried Chicken
-- Wylie Dufresnes Popeyes-Style Chicken
Tenders and Biscuits

Sink your teeth into Fried & True, the source of your
next great fried chicken masterpiece and a tribute to
Americas most beloved culinary treasure.

Pur
chas
eacopyof

F
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CLARKSON POTTER

Copyright 2014 by Lee Brian Schrager

Photographs copyright 2014 by Evan Sung
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/
Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random
House Company, New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com
CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with
colophon is a registered trademark of Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Schrager, Lee.
Fried & true : 50 recipes for America's best fried chicken
and sides / Lee Brian Schrager with Adeena Sussman ;
photographs by Evan Sung. -- First edition.
pages cm
Includes index.
1. Cooking (Chicken) 2. Fried food. 3. Side dishes
(Cooking) 4. Cooking, American--Southern style. 5.
Schrager, Lee--Travel--Southern States. 6. Restaurants-Southern States. I. Sussman, Adeena. II. Title. III. Title:
Fried and true.
TX750.5.C45S37 2014
641.5975--dc23
2013050631
ISBN 978-0-7704-3522-6
eBook ISBN 978-0-7704-3523-3
Printed in the United States
Text design by Danielle Deschenes
Cover design by Danielle Deschenes
Cover photography by Evan Sung
10987654321
First Edition

To my parents, Ken and Marlene Schrager,

who recognized early on that being
different is sometimes better.

contents
8 Foreword by Whoopi Goldberg
10 Introduction

Fried Chicken 101

14
Southern Inspiration
29
American Originals
137
Pacific Rim Flavors
193
Sandwiches, Wings, Lil Bits, and Special Diets
215
246 Master Frying Chart
250 Acknowledgments
251 Index

foreword
by Whoopi Goldberg
Who doesnt dig fried chicken? If youre a vegan you probably dont,
and in that case put this book down, coz youre not going to be able to
resist the desire for that chicken. Fried chicken is a staple in many cultures.
Its comfort food, and it isnt a black, Asian, or white Southern thingits
a human thing. I LOVE my fried chicken. I mean I really, really, really,
really LOVE my fried chicken. Nothing makes me or my mouth happier. I
remember my mom taking the brown paper bag, adding the flour, putting in
the chicken and shaking, shaking, shaking. And when it hit the oil . . . that
smell! Im not much of a cook myself, but I do know my fried chicken. (I cook
a mean turkey once a year at Thanksgiving; really slow, all night, and baste,
baste, baste). But fried chicken is my one true love.
Each year there is something called the Food Network South Beach
and New York City Wine & Food Festivals. A few years ago, the very amazing
Rachael Ray couldnt make it to her event, the Burger Bash. The most
generous man, Lee Schrager, approached me to fill in. Now, who doesnt
like a great burger? So that was an easy yes for me! But as I was walking
from station to station sampling all the burgers from everywhere, I turned
to Lee and suggested a fried chicken event for the following year. Im proud
to be part of Chicken Coupe, now going into its fourth year in New York and
its third year in Miami. (Thanks, Lee!) But who knew Lee was such a fried
chicken fan, too? He says writing a fried chicken cookbook wasnt always
on his bucket list . . . but now Im not so sure.
Fried & True doesnt just give you 50-plus fried chicken recipesfrom
the ones Lee picked up on his road trip to some from the best restaurants,
in some of the best cities in the worldbut also the stories that go along
with them and make for some good reading. My favorite is Fried Chicken
101yup, tips! Um-hm . . . dont crowd, and give each piece time. Thats
good advice.
Thanks, LeeIm hoping to meet some of these recipes at the next
Chicken Coupe event.

8 Fried & True

SOUTHERN INSPIRATIONS
If one American region can claim fried chicken as
its own, its the South. More than in any other part of
the country, Southern chefs and cooks told us tales of
Sunday suppers, pre- and post-church repasts, family
reunions, and other festive meals where fried chicken
played a pivotal role in the proceedings. It makes
sense, when you think about it: particularly where hot
weather prevails, fried chicken can be made early in the
morning, then covered with a tea towel and served at
room temperature with all the fixings. It is inexpensive
and can feed a crowd. Most importantly, everyone loves
itand were quite sure you will, too. Though there are
as many permutations on fried chicken in the South
as elsewhere, a few themes prevail. Several recipes
use lard as part of the frying oil; many are dipped in
buttermilk, then dredged in seasoned flour; and the use
of a cast-iron skillet often defines a recipe as hailing
from below the Mason-Dixon line.

Left: Arnold's Country Kitchen's Fried Chicken, Chicken Livers, Braised Turnip

Greens, and Fried Green Tomatoes, see page 38 for recipe.

new orleans

,
s
e
a
M
ie
ll
Wi
,
s
y
d
r
McHa
and Dooky Chases
New Orleans and fried chicken go together like red beans and rice, a
fact confirmed after a couple of days in The Crescent City. Two establishments, Dooky Chases and Willie Maes Scotch House, loom large in fried
chicken mythology here, but we found a city filled with memorable versions
of fried chicken, many of them humble stand-alone institutions helping to
tell the citys story.
When we stopped in unannounced at McHardys Chicken & Fixin,
owner Alvi Anderson-Mogilles was pleased as punch to see us. Im the
Colonel here, said Alvi, 61, a former school administrator who persuaded
her husband, Kermit, to leave his successful banking career and open
McHardys in 2004. Defying Katrinas devastation, they reopened at the
end of 2006, determined to help the city get back on its feet, one five-
order box at a time. Feeding people took on more meaning, she told us.
Alvi insists on rinsing and chilling her chicken (Its got to be cold!), then
coating it in a secret blend of spiced flour, a recipe handed down from her
late mother (we detected strong hints of lemon pepper and ground celery seed). McHardys also participates in a prison work-release program,
helping inmates readjust to life on the outside after incarceration. Frying
chicken is a journey, Alvi told us as she sent us on our way with a to-go
box. Im just along for the ride.
Arriving at Willie Maes Scotch House, we were looking forward as
much to a true taste of New Orleans history as we were to the fried chicken.
Willie Mae Seaton first opened a restaurant in 1956 in the French Quarter,

Scenes from McHardys Chicken & Fixin; owner Alvi Anderson-Mogilles and her son Rahman

78 Fried & True

Southern Inspirations 79

Donald Link

Sunday Night Fried Chicken

and Lake Charles Dirty Rice
Serves 46

For the Chicken

On the pass-through between

at Donald Links New Orleans restaurant, Cochon, there sits an enviable

1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces,

with wing-on breast halves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
teaspoon cayenne pepper
teaspoon freshly ground
white pepper
teaspoon garlic powder
5 dashes Louisiana hot sauce
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups lard, vegetable shortening,
bacon fat, or a combination of the
three, for frying
3 cups all-purpose flour

For the Rice

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 ounces ground pork
4 ounces raw chicken liver,
pured ( cup)
1 teaspoons kosher salt
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
teaspoon chili powder
1 cups chicken stock
1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
2 celery stalks, finely chopped ( cup)
1 or 2 jalapeo peppers, seeds and
ribs included, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 cups cooked white rice
4 scallions (white and green parts),
chopped (1 cup), plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped parsley,
plus more for garnish
88 Fried & True

the open kitchen and the dining room

collection of cast-iron vessels, used nightly to prepare Links moderntraditional take on Cajun cooking. Links understandably popular fried
chicken is made just like his granny used to make it in Lake Charles:
seasoned, skillet-fried, dark, and so crunchy that each bite practically
echoes through the large, wood-accented dining room. The recipe calls
for a mix of fats, but dont fret if you end up using just one. And once its
out of the skillet, slow down: Link believes that waiting up to 20minutes
allows the birds natural chicken juices to settle. Take the extra time
to make that dirty rice: the introduction of pured liver lends an earthy
depth to the dish (and fools the liver-averse every time).

For Links recipe, cutting the chicken into ten pieces instead
of the more typical eight (two wings, two breasts, two
drumsticks, two thighs) results in smaller, easy-to-hold pieces
with more crispy goodness. Cut the chicken into eight pieces
(or buy a presectioned chicken), leaving the breast side of the
wing attached. Cut the breast in half, making ten pieces, which
gives you two wings, two thighs, two legs, and four pieces of
breasttwo with the drumstick side of the wing attached.

Season the chicken: In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the
salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, white pepper, garlic powder,
and hot sauce until evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap2 and
refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day (the longer the better,
to allow the seasonings to permeate the meat).

Dredge the chicken: Transfer the chicken to a clean mixing bowl

and pour the buttermilk over the chicken. Heat the frying fat of
your choice in a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet to 350F, or until
a pinch of flour sizzles when dropped into the fat. As the oil heats,
remove the chicken from the buttermilk, allowing excess liquid to
drip off, and transfer to a clean bowl. Add the flour and toss
to coat.
Fry the chicken: When the oil is ready, working in batches and
starting with the large bone-in cuts, add the chicken pieces to
the skillet, shaking off any excess flour before placing in the oil.
(Make sure not to overcrowd the pan.) Fry the chicken pieces,
turning with tongs occasionally and making sure the oil maintains
a mellow sizzle, 8 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate
lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Let the chicken
sit for 20 minutes while you make the rice.

Make the rice: In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over high
heat. Add the pork and liver and cook, stirring, until browned, 3to
4 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, and chili powder to combine.
Add cup of the chicken stock and cook until evaporated,
allowing the meat mixture to get browned and crusty once again
and stick to the pan, an additional 5 to 6 minutes. (Resist the
impulse to stir constantly: you want the meat to stick to the pan
and get nice and crusty.)
Add the onion, celery, jalapeo, garlic, and oregano and cook,
stirring, until the vegetables are nicely browned and crusty and
begin to stick to the pan, about 4 minutes. Add the remaining 1
cups stock and the rice, scallions, and parsley and stir until the
liquid is absorbed and the rice is heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with
additional scallions and parsley, if desired. Serve the chicken with
the dirty rice on the side.

Southern Inspirations 89

Donald Link's Sunday Night Fried Chicken and Lake Charles Dirty Rice

Southern Inspirations 91

american originals
In his book Fried Chicken: An American Story, food
authority John T. Edge aimed to demonstrate that fried
chicken was a wholly American art form rather than
merely a Southern onea generous admission from the
man whose Southern Foodways Alliance works to preserve food traditions below the Mason-Dixon line. For
decades fried chicken was slumbering in the Southern
ghetto, and now it has emerged, he told us. Chefs and
consumers have embraced it in a way that celebrates
its Southern-ness but brings all sorts of ethnicities and
regional specialties to bear. We couldnt agree more,
and this collection of recipes only bolsters the argument. Some contain heavy Southern influences, but
their accompanying side dishes modernize both presentation and experience. Still others beautifully reflect the
influence of immigration and the way it creates new traditions that get stirred up in the American melting pot.
When it comes to fried chicken its hard to say where
the South ends and the rest of America begins, but one
things for sure: as a group these recipes are proof positive that fried chicken can hold its own in any state
and any styleof the union.

LEFT: Caf Bouluds Skinless Fried Chicken, Baked Beans, and Pickled Fresno
Chiles, see page 138 for recipe.

philadelphia, pa

culver city, CA

15

New Orleans, LA

12

baton rouge, la

gavin kaysen 

Caf Boulud Skinless Fried

Chicken, Baked Beans, and
Pickled Fresno Chiles

Frozen (Cocktail)
10

Michelle Bernstein
Michys Fried Chicken and

boston, ma
3

Blackberry Farm
 weet Tea-Brined Fried Chicken
S

michael solomonov
Federal Donuts Fried Chicken

Harlem, NY
1

11

10

New York, NY

Chicken
11

Parm
Fried Chicken Cacciatore

12

Rusty Hamlin
Louisiana Battered Fried
Chicken

and Sauce

16

Brooklyn, NY

13

Pierre Thiam
Senegalese Chicken

14

Steven Satterfield
Yogurt-Marinated Chicken

wylie dufresne
Popeyes-Style Chicken
Tenders and Biscuits

Asheville, NC
6

14

Michael Romano
Graham CrackerCrusted

Watermelon Salad

13

Highland Kitchen
Fried (Chicken) and

Atlanta, GA
7

Asha Gomez 

Thighs, Charred Vegetables,

and Sherry-Honey Glaze

Keralan F
 ried Chicken,
Lowcountry Cardamom Waffles,
and Spicy Maple Syrup

15

Tujague
Chicken Bonne Femme

Marcus samuelsson
Coconut Fried Chicken

16

Jeff McInnis
Fried Chicken and

with Collards and Gravy

Cauliflower Mash
8

Honeys Kettle
 ome-Style Smashed Garlic
H
Fried Chicken

miami, fl

My roots are the Indian

South; my home is the American
South, says Asha Gomez, chefowner of Atlantas Cardamom
Hill. Growing up on the beach
in Kerala, a region of India
whose cuisine reflects its
Christian-Portuguese influence,
Gomez was exposed to a host
of ingredientssorghum, pork,
coconut, and rice among them
that she was surprised to find in
abundance when she moved to
Georgia at age 16. Her fragrant,
crunchy fried chicken, marinated
overnight in an emerald-green
pure of buttermilk, herbs, and
spices before breading, is a
revelation. The accompanying
rice-studded Lowcountry waffles,
topped with spice-infused maple
syrup and flash-fried curry
leaves, brilliantly connect the
dots between her culinary past
and present.

162 Fried and True

Asha Gomez

Keralan Fried Chicken,

Lowcountry Cardamom Waffles, and Spicy Maple Syrup

Serves 8

For the Spicy Maple Syrup

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds,

coarsely ground
2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds,
coarsely ground
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups maple syrup
For the Chicken

2 cups buttermilk
10 garlic cloves
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
6 whole serrano (or 3 large jalapeo)
peppers, seeded if desired
Bunch of fresh cilantro
Bunch of fresh mint
2 tablespoons kosher salt
8 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
(about 3 pounds)
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 stems fresh curry leaves

Make the syrup: Toast the cumin, coriander, and red pepper
flakes in a dry, hot medium skillet until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Whisk the toasted spices into the maple syrup and let the syrup
infuse at room temperature for 24 hours.
Marinate the chicken: In a blender, pure the buttermilk, garlic,
ginger, peppers, cilantro, mint, and salt until smooth. Place the
chicken in a large glass dish or bowl, pour the buttermilk pure
over the chicken, toss to coat, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Fry the chicken: Fill a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet with inch
oil and gently heat to 300F. Set a wire rack on top of a rimmed
baking sheet and set aside. While the oil is heating, remove the
chicken from the buttermilk pure, gently shake off excess, and
dredge each piece in flour. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin
side down; the oil should come halfway up the pan. Cook the
chicken until it turns golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes per side.
Drain the chicken on the rack and drizzle with the melted coconut
oil. While the chicken is draining, crisp the curry leaves by frying
in the oil until crisp, 10 to 15 seconds.

To Serve: Serve the chicken on top of the waffles and drizzle with
the spiced syrup. Garnish with the fried curry leaves.

American Originals 163

Cardamom Waffles
Makes 8 waffles

1 cups all-purpose flour

cup rice flour
cup unsweetened malt powder
(available at www. Amazon.com)
2 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled,
plus more for greasing the waffle iron
cup cooked basmati or white rice
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, rice flour, malt powder,
sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt. In a
separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, then add the buttermilk
and melted butter and whisk again.
Slowly whisk the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, then add
the cooked rice, whisking just until combined. Cover and let the
batter rest for about 1 hour at room temperature.
Heat a waffle iron and brush with melted butter. For each
waffle, ladle cup batter into the waffle iron and cook until crisp
and golden, 4 to 5 minutes.

RIGHT: Asha Gomez

164 Fried and True

American Originals 165

Pur
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F
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D& T
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CLARKSON POTTER