Poultry & Frying

Introductions

Methods of Cookery and Dishes:

This week in class we will be focusing on frying (deep frying, sauteing, pan frying, stir frying). The dishes we will be making are fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and stir fry asparagus.

My personal learning objectives:

• Perfect the marinating/dredging process

• Learn to fry chicken/maintaining proper temperatures without burning

• Understand the stir fry technique

  
  

Prior knowledge:

I have no experience with frying chicken at all. I’ve cooked plenty of chicken with other methods, but I’ve never deep fried it. I also have never cooked asparagus but I have used the stir fry technique with other dishes. The only area in which I really have experience is the mashed potatoes. I also use the ricer technique at home because my family likes smooth potatoes.

Background Information:

Method of Cooking and Techniques:

Frying works through conduction and convection heat transfer. It’s classified as a dry heat cooking method because it doesn't use water/moisture, but uses fat instead. Frying usually occurs between 325F-375F, and dehydration and browning occurs. Fried foods usually have a coating of some sort, whether it’s breading, dredging, or batter. When the starches contact the fat, the surface moisture evaporates, starches gelatinize, proteins coagulate, and browning occurs (maillard reaction). This layer becomes crispy while insulating the interior maintaining juiciness. Oil selection is also important when frying. Different oils have different smoke points. For frying, oil needs to have a higher smoke point in order to prevent oil breakdown and off flavors. 

Research of Ingredients:

Asparagus Sensory Characteristics:

Taste: Slightly bitter

Flavor: Fresh, earthy

Texture: Tender yet crunchy when roasted, tender when stir fried

Appearance: Bright green, look like paintbrushes

Aroma: Fresh, earthy

Asparagus comes from the Mediterranean and parts of Western Asia and has been eaten for thousands of years. Asparagus has a brighter, earthier, and more bitter flavor than fried chicken, therefore compliments it well. The chicken is rich and the asparagus is fresh. 

Potato Sensory Characteristics:

Taste: Mild, buttery or earthy depending on the type

Texture: Creamy when boiled or mashed, crispy exterior when sautéed

Appearance: Pale yellow interior, golden when browned. Skin looks like it has freckles and moles

Aroma: Earthy when raw, savory when cooked

Potatoes originally come from the Andes region in South America (like Peru and Bolivia) and have been around for thousands of years. They pair well with fried chicken, because the fried chicken is really heavy and fatty, while the potatoes are starchy and balance it all out.

Dish/method variations 

The goal of fried chicken is pretty much always the same: Crispy outside, juicy, flavorful inside. There are many ways to mix it up and make variations, however. The first method is using a different fat to fry the chicken in. My family growing up used Crisco, the vegetable shortening. Using different seasonings is a super easy way to change the overall flavor of the chicken, too. Different frying methods such as shallow/pan frying will yield a slightly different result as well.

Recipes

Recipe Name_____Fried Chicken Number of Portions _____4 portions__  

Ingredients		Directions:  Include step by step instructions.
	Weight
whole chicken (cut into 8 pieces) salt  ground black pepper  garlic powder  onion powder  dried whole oregano  dried whole basil  paprika cayenne pepper all-purpose flour (season flour with above seasonings)  buttermilk  vegetable oil as needed for fryer	1 ea TT TT 2 tsp 2 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp .5 tsp 5 oz 16 oz	Preheat fryers at 325° Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Season buttermilk with ½ of the dried herbs and spices.  Place the chicken pieces in seasoned buttermilk to marinate. Leave marinating chicken on tabletop to get to room temperature.  Add the other half of the dry herbs and spices to the flour. When ready to fry (not before if not chicken will be soggy), pat dry the chicken with paper towels and dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour. Fry the chicken in oil until golden brown and internal temperature reads 160°, remove the chicken if getting too  browned, but internal temperature not ready drain it place on sheet pan with a cool rack and finish cooking it in the oven.

Recipe Name____Asparagus Stir Fry______________________

Yield____2 portions_  

Ingredients			Directions:  Include step by step instructions.
	Weight	Volume
medium asparagus shiitake mushrooms vegetable oil sesame oil garlic (chopped) oyster sauce crushed red pepper (optional) to taste	8 oz 4 oz 1 tsp TT	½ tbsp ½ tbsp 1 fl oz	Wash the asparagus, trim the ends and slice on the bias into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Wash the mushrooms, trim off the stems and slice the caps into 1⁄2-inch- (1.2-centimeter-) thick slices. Heat the oils in a wok or sauté pan. Add the garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the asparagus and mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute. 6. Add the oyster sauce (may not need all of it) and crushed red chiles (if using) and sauté for a few minutes until combined.

Recipe Name____Mashed Potatoes_____________________________ Yield__4 portions___  

Ingredients			Directions:  Include step by step instructions.
	Weight	Volume
Potatoes, mealy (eg. Russet) Whole butter, kerrygold Heavy cream Salt White pepper	1 lb 5 oz 5 fl oz TT TT		Wash and peel potatoes. Cut each potato into 4-6 uniform sized pieces. Place potatoes in a pot, cover with water and add approximately 1 Tbsp salt. Bring to a boil, and lower to gentle simmer.  Cook until the potatoes are tender. Do not overcook. Place the cream into a pot and warm. When potatoes are cooked, drain well in colander. Place potatoes back in the pot and dry on low heat.  Mash potatoes in a bowl using ricer, tamis, food mill or masher. Add the butter and fold in. Add the cream in stages until a shiny mash is achieved. Season.

Variation: Roasted garlic mashed potatoes = cut the top of a whole head of garlic on a piece of foil, add oil, salt, and pepper wrap, and place in 350° oven until soft, approximately 30 minutes.

Notes: Potatoes can be boiled or baked.

Time	Task	Time Taken
8:00–8:15	Chef huddle	15 min
8:15–8:30	Gather ingredients & equipment	15 min
8:30–9:00	Mise en place	30 min
9:00–9:30	Start fried chicken (season, marinate, dredge)	30 min
9:30–10:15	Fry chicken and start boiling potatoes	45 min
10:15–10:30	Mash potatoes (butter and cream, season)	15 min
10:30–10:45	Cook asparagus stir fry	15 min
10:45–11:00	Plate all dishes, plates up at 11	15 min
11:00–12:00	Eat and clean	60 min

Serious Eats. (n.d.). The food lab’s guide to southern fried chicken. Retrieved April 6, 2026, from https://www.seriouseats.com/southern-fried-chicken-recipe

America’s Test Kitchen. (n.d.). Classic crispy fried chicken. Retrieved April 6, 2026, from https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes

BBC Good Food. (n.d.). Buttermilk fried chicken recipe. Retrieved April 6, 2026, from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/buttermilk-fried-chicken