Fear of Frying

They backed me into a corner. I mean what kind of food blogger can’t fry chicken? That’s not what they said exactly, but that what’s I heard. Miles outside of New York City, in small-town Pennsylvania, I was forced to face my fear of frying.

Any recipe that calls for more than a ½ cup of oil gets me jittery. All I can think about is splattered walls, soggy crust, and a P-in-the-A clean up. Until now, I’ve dealt with this problem by practicing avoidance. But fried chicken was my friend Alex’s birthday request, I’m supposed to be a cook, and I just don’t have the balls to disappoint a house full of people.

Truth: I’ve been fantasizing about frying chicken long enough to have Martha Stewart’s recipe memorized. The moment was destined to come to fruition.

The oil popped and I gulped white wine. Poised in front of a cookie sheet of flour and a bowl of dairy slicked chicken parts, I thought of Michelle Kwan and Michael Phelps. If they could ice skate and swim to Olympic stardom, I could fry some bird.


With each coated piece laid safely in the oil, my confidence grew- yeah Michel Phelps, you and me- champions baby.

Twelve minutes of cooking on each side produced crusty, golden, chunks. Hunched over plates, people oohed and aahed like I had just done a triple lutz. Can I get some applause? Each piece was checked with the instant read thermometer to ensure 165 degree bacteria free moistness. It was like everything I had ever learned about cooking lead up to that moment.

By the last batch, I felt secure enough to hand over my tongs and abandon post to raid the cheese plate. Tired and moving slow, I walked away from the stove with the vegetable oil sheen of a champion. Fear got its butt kicked.

Martha’s recipe is fantastic. Click here to see for yourself.

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5 comments:

  1. Dude, you FRIED? I am so proud! I am fry-phobic, too! Chicken looks awesome--congrats!

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  2. Fantastic! I'm not even a chicken eater, but I would love to be able to make this for guests. Bravo for taking out the fear and mystery - that's what I'm liking most about TTB... discovering simple ingredients and techniques to capture the essence of a something you love to eat but never would have guessed or dare make yourself.

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  3. The chicken was AMAZING! It was a true birthday treat!

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  4. TKW, we need to all hold hands and face frying together.

    Ellen, Thanks for the insight. You hit the purpose of the blog right on the head. On another note, I think you should cook vegan for your guests. People don't get to have tasty vegan stuff very often.

    Alex,
    My pleasure. You were the wind beneath my wings.

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  5. The chicken was perfection, Devon. I can't wait to have it again! Loved it.

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FOOD IS ONE OF THE MOST VISCERAL ASPECTS OF A CULTURE; IT CAN BE EXPERIENCED WITH NO LANGUAGE SKILLS, NO GUIDE, AND MOST TIMES WITH VERY LITTLE MONEY.