It's National Fried Chicken Day!
Okay, so I'm actually NOT the world's biggest fried chicken fan. In fact, I tend to stay away from the stuff most days. It has always tasted a bit too greasy for me but, let me tell you, I do love slightly untraditional fried chicken recipes. What I mean by that is that I love love love Latin chicken recipes that are, well, actually fried chicken, too. So to celebrate Fried Chicken Day today I'm going to indulge just a little bit and have some of this not-so-good-for-you dish. Whether it's making some chicharrones de pollo (Dominican fried chicken), fried chicken and mashed potato tacos or pollo asado (which I actually love to fry, instead), today's meal is certainly going to be delicious.
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Chicharrones de Pollo, a.k.a. Dominican Fried Chicken (recipe courtesy of About.com)
__Ingredients:
__2 1/2 pounds boneless chicken strips (breasts, thighs or mixed)
Marinade:
1 cup lime juice
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic (minced)
Seasoned Flour Coating:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (or to taste)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Vegetable oil for frying
__Directions:
__1. Combine marinade ingredients in a large plastic bowl or zipper bag. Add chicken and marinate for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
2. Combine flour, Spanish paprika, pepper and salt in a separate plastic bowl or zipper bag.
3. Coat the marinated chicken with the seasoned flour mixture.
4. Place vegetable oil for frying into a deep frying pan, or use a deep fryer. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Fry chicken in batches, until golden brown outside and completely cooked inside (about 4 minutes per side).
6. Place chicken on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb oil. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Fried Chicken & Mashed Potato Tacos (recipe courtesy of Latinaish.com)
__Ingredients:
__2-3 pieces of fried chicken, shredded by hand
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 green onion, chopped
salsa or hot sauce of your choice
corn or flour tortillas
__Directions:
__1. Add the green onion to the chicken. Keep all other ingredients separate.
2. Warm tortillas on the comal [griddle] or in a large frying pan, so that they're pliable. Flip them over.
3. In the center of each tortilla, place a spoonful of mashed potato, a few pieces of chicken & green onion, and top with a spoonful of salsa or hot sauce.
4. Use a spatula to fold each tortilla closed. The mashed potatoes will help keep them from opening. Brown on each side, flipping as needed. If you like, spray each side with cooking spray for better browning.
5. Remove from comal and serve.
Pollo Asado, a.k.a. Mojo Roasted Chicken (recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com)
__Ingredients:
__1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 (6 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
__Directions:
__1. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until very hot. While the oil heats, mash the cumin, salt, oregano, and garlic together into a paste in a heat-proof bowl; whisk the hot oil into the paste. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Add the lime juice and orange juice; stir. Place the chicken in a large sealable bag; pour the marinade over the chicken and shake to assure an even coating. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
2. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Arrange the marinated chicken in a roasting pan.
3. Bake the chicken in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
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What is your favorite way to make chicken? Do you make Latin fried chicken? Share with us in the comments below!
Images via Latinaish.com, roboppy/flickr, Juan G. Hurtado/flickr
