Marcus Samuelsson's Go-To Method For Perfect Fried Chicken
Marcus Samuelsson didn't grow up eating fried chicken, but when he came to America and tried it for the first time, he fell in love with it (via Tasty's YouTube). That may come as a surprise to most, given that the celebrity chef is most known for his fried chicken restaurants Red Rooster and Streetbird. He revealed to CNBC that despite spending his childhood in Ethiopia and Sweden eating fish "four or five times a week," American soul food became his passion when Samuelsson moved to Harlem, New York, in 2005. Seven years later, the now-famous Red Rooster restaurant was born.
When it comes to making his signature fried chicken, Samuelsson described it to Tasty as Harlem-inspired but with his "own accent to it." That translates to using the Ethiopian spice mix berbere, and as he shared with Food & Wine, brining the chicken in both buttermilk and coconut. But flavor aside, Samuelsson doesn't consider his fried chicken perfect unless it's cooked a certain way.
Marcus Samuelsson fries his fried chicken twice
According to Marcus Samuelsson, the texture of your fried chicken is just as important as the flavor. The best way to achieve crispy, crackly skin, he told Food & Wine, is to fry the chicken twice in a cast-iron skillet. Per his instructions, the initial fry should be over high heat, and the second fry should be on low. Between each fry, you'll want to rest the chicken for 10 minutes and only fry for three minutes the second time around (via YouTube).
Samuelsson's recipe calls for three cups of peanut oil, but to take it a step further, he told Culture Map Houston he likes to add rosemary. Before you put the chicken in, fry up a few fresh sprigs, then remove them when they start to sizzle, the chef says. When you fry your chicken in the oil, it'll have another layer of flavor in addition to the perfect crunch.