Book Review : Fried Chicken by Rebecca Lang

Photo Credit - Random house

Two little words that bring happiness, joy, love, and excitement to my heart. No, it's not "love you" from my significant other, but the words "fried chicken" when I ask what is for dinner.  When I was given the opportunity to read the cookbook for my blog, I jumped for joy. I have tried cooking fried chicken in different ways before, dredge in flour, covered in panko, sprinkled with black pepper and even saturated with beer batter. As soon as I cracked opened the book I realized I was in a different level when I saw there was three types of frying - skillet, deep frying and combination. Combination frying? I had never heard of it but oh, how the recipes look so enticing and delicious! 

The cookbook is packed with over 50 family friendly recipes. The Southern classic takes a global trot around the world with ethnically inspired flavors such as Saigon Street Wings, Chinese Lollipop Wings, Mexican-Lime Fried Chicken Tacos, and Korean Fried Chicken with Gochujang Sauce along with mainstay recipes such as Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Chicken Fingers and Gluten-Free Southern Fried Chicken. Most of the recipes are beautifully photographed in color. The instructions are clear and concise and easy to understand. The author also includes the recipes for all sauces and sides (if included) as a separate recipe. Which is nice, because I really wanted to make the chicken and waffles but I am a more of a frozen or mix type of gal than making it from scratch. In the beginning, Rebecca Lang spends some time explain smoking points of fats, types of chicken and even how to cut, wash and prepare the chicken. The cookbook is a comprehensive guide for how to make the fried goodness.

I think no matter how hard I want to cook every recipe like in Julia and Julia, it might be best if I don't otherwise I may not even fit into my fat pants. I didn't try an exact recipe from scratch but I used some of the recipes as inspiration for my own cooking. I never knew adding a bit of curry powder in the flour would add a nice complex flavor to the chicken. This book is a definite treat for anyone who loves fried chicken or likes to experiment with new flavors.

Disclosure - I received this book for free to provide my honest opinion.