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What makes a good fried chicken? For many of us, it is juicy har cheong kai from our favourite zichar stall with crisp-crunchy batter. For others, it’s ayam goreng berempah served with nasi lemak and a shower of spiced floss that provides an extra dimension of flavour and texture to the fried chicken thighs.
For others yet, it might be Korean fried chicken from BHC, southern fried chicken from Yardbird Southern Table and Bar, or one of the many underrated fried chicken spots across the island.
So, what makes fried chicken great? Most of us (except my friend) agree that fried chicken should be succulent and well-marinated so that every bite yields deep flavour. The skin should be sheathed in a crisp, not too thin or thick batter that’s also rich in flavour.
The Coconut Club's Ayam Goreng Berempah Nasi Lemak. (Photo: The Coconut Club)
To get a general consensus, we asked people who make good fried chicken, such as chef Daniel Sia of The Coconut Club. The ayam goreng berempah at his restaurants are always juicy and saturated with flavour, with a just-crisp-enough crust that goes so well with their umami-sweet sambal and fluffy grains of coconut milk-infused rice.
When asked to name his favourite, Sia is too humble to say his own fried chicken. Instead, he names The Nasi Lemak Shop in Kuala Lumpur. “With most ayam berempah, the spices don’t stick to the skin, and when they do, they tend to burn in the cooking,” he explained.
“The Nasi Lemak Shop makes it so that the spices stick to the skin without burning, and the chicken is very moist.”
Good fried chicken, he added, starts with good-quality chicken, which his team marinates in a vacuum chamber for two days. “Marinating them in a vacuum allows the spices to penetrate the meat without losing moisture from the salt,” he said.
Chef Anthony Yeoh’s Summer Hill is another popular spot for fried chicken. Yeoh agrees that good fried chicken starts with the best raw ingredients. “You can always taste when it’s cheap, frozen chicken, especially the breast, which comes up dry, stringy and powdery,” he said.
Summer Hill's French fried chicken. (Photo: Summer Hill)
“We use barn-raised hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken; happy chickens that have been allowed to run around, grow at a normal place, and were fed well. We’ve tried cooking the same recipe side by side with an ordinary chicken, and you can taste the difference immediately. It’s so, so tender, juicy and flavourful.”
To make Summer Hill’s French fried chicken, Yeoh brines this chooks overnight before frying. Once out of the fryer, he drenches the fried chicken with butter infused with thyme, rosemary, lemon and honey so that when it reaches the table, “the smell of the French countryside fills your nose”. “Ironically,” he added, “the French don’t even have fried chicken in their repertoire as far as I know.”
Perhaps one of the most popular fried chicken in town remains Arnold’s Fried Chicken. This stalwart started 30 years ago as a small fried chicken eatery tucked away on the second floor of City Plaza. It now boasts five outlets that play host to a steady stream of loyal customers in the heartlands.
Arnold's famous fried chicken. (Photo: Arnold's Fried Chicken)
I love the simplicity of Arnold’s fried chicken and that it remains crisp hours after being delivered to my dining table. Despite being marinated for a mere 25 minutes, the chicken is always tasty and succulent, qualities that the brand’s operations manager, Musta’ein Ahmad, said can be attributed to the good-quality chicken they use, the right mix of seasoning and seasoned flour, clean oil, and precise cooking temperature and time.
Unlike western-style fried chicken, which sometimes uses a combination of an open fryer and a pressure cooker, Arnold’s uses a deep-fat fryer with oil heated to 360 degrees Farenheit (or 182 degrees Celsius) for about 11 minutes, depending on the chicken part. “I think the difference is that using only the open fryer gives a good crispiness on the outer layer,” he said.
“Oil plays a big part (in good fried chicken). We have a strict protocol to filter our sunflower oil twice or thrice a day to ensure it stays fresh. The fryer temperature and timing are also important to get juicy, crispy chicken.”
That said, Musta’ein maintains that the best fried chicken is served hot, fresh off the fryer. “This is where you can enjoy the real taste of the fried chicken and the rich spices it was marinated in. It’s juicy on the inside and crisp on the outside.”
Ultimately, that’s what it whittles down to: Succulent meat and that shattering crunch we all love.
Source: CNA/mm
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What makes a good fried chicken? For many of us, it is juicy har cheong kai from our favourite zichar stall with crisp-crunchy batter. For others, it’s ayam goreng berempah served with nasi lemak and a shower of spiced floss that provides an extra dimension of flavour and texture to the fried chicken thighs.
For others yet, it might be Korean fried chicken from BHC, southern fried chicken from Yardbird Southern Table and Bar, or one of the many underrated fried chicken spots across the island.
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So, what makes fried chicken great? Most of us (except my friend) agree that fried chicken should be succulent and well-marinated so that every bite yields deep flavour. The skin should be sheathed in a crisp, not too thin or thick batter that’s also rich in flavour.
The Coconut Club's Ayam Goreng Berempah Nasi Lemak. (Photo: The Coconut Club)
To get a general consensus, we asked people who make good fried chicken, such as chef Daniel Sia of The Coconut Club. The ayam goreng berempah at his restaurants are always juicy and saturated with flavour, with a just-crisp-enough crust that goes so well with their umami-sweet sambal and fluffy grains of coconut milk-infused rice.
When asked to name his favourite, Sia is too humble to say his own fried chicken. Instead, he names The Nasi Lemak Shop in Kuala Lumpur. “With most ayam berempah, the spices don’t stick to the skin, and when they do, they tend to burn in the cooking,” he explained.
“The Nasi Lemak Shop makes it so that the spices stick to the skin without burning, and the chicken is very moist.”
Good fried chicken, he added, starts with good-quality chicken, which his team marinates in a vacuum chamber for two days. “Marinating them in a vacuum allows the spices to penetrate the meat without losing moisture from the salt,” he said.
Chef Anthony Yeoh’s Summer Hill is another popular spot for fried chicken. Yeoh agrees that good fried chicken starts with the best raw ingredients. “You can always taste when it’s cheap, frozen chicken, especially the breast, which comes up dry, stringy and powdery,” he said.
Summer Hill's French fried chicken. (Photo: Summer Hill)
“We use barn-raised hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken; happy chickens that have been allowed to run around, grow at a normal place, and were fed well. We’ve tried cooking the same recipe side by side with an ordinary chicken, and you can taste the difference immediately. It’s so, so tender, juicy and flavourful.”
To make Summer Hill’s French fried chicken, Yeoh brines this chooks overnight before frying. Once out of the fryer, he drenches the fried chicken with butter infused with thyme, rosemary, lemon and honey so that when it reaches the table, “the smell of the French countryside fills your nose”. “Ironically,” he added, “the French don’t even have fried chicken in their repertoire as far as I know.”
Perhaps one of the most popular fried chicken in town remains Arnold’s Fried Chicken. This stalwart started 30 years ago as a small fried chicken eatery tucked away on the second floor of City Plaza. It now boasts five outlets that play host to a steady stream of loyal customers in the heartlands.
Arnold's famous fried chicken. (Photo: Arnold's Fried Chicken)
I love the simplicity of Arnold’s fried chicken and that it remains crisp hours after being delivered to my dining table. Despite being marinated for a mere 25 minutes, the chicken is always tasty and succulent, qualities that the brand’s operations manager, Musta’ein Ahmad, said can be attributed to the good-quality chicken they use, the right mix of seasoning and seasoned flour, clean oil, and precise cooking temperature and time.
Unlike western-style fried chicken, which sometimes uses a combination of an open fryer and a pressure cooker, Arnold’s uses a deep-fat fryer with oil heated to 360 degrees Farenheit (or 182 degrees Celsius) for about 11 minutes, depending on the chicken part. “I think the difference is that using only the open fryer gives a good crispiness on the outer layer,” he said.
“Oil plays a big part (in good fried chicken). We have a strict protocol to filter our sunflower oil twice or thrice a day to ensure it stays fresh. The fryer temperature and timing are also important to get juicy, crispy chicken.”
That said, Musta’ein maintains that the best fried chicken is served hot, fresh off the fryer. “This is where you can enjoy the real taste of the fried chicken and the rich spices it was marinated in. It’s juicy on the inside and crisp on the outside.”
Ultimately, that’s what it whittles down to: Succulent meat and that shattering crunch we all love.
Source: CNA/mm
Continue reading...