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The first rule of the OFC Club: brine
The second Rule of the OFC Club: buy less, buy organic
The third Rule of The OFC Club: don’t flip
This perfect oven fried chicken recipe comes from hours of studying. In the Usa, I learned a lot about food. In particular, about chicken. It is mandatory to buy organic, from a small farm (if possible) and…that there is also a season for chickens. Crazy uh?
I discovered the chicken season when I was at a small farm stand (sorry I don’t remember the name!) at the Dupont Circle Market, one of the best in town. Someone asked for chicken, but he hadn’t because it was not the season. This affirmation made him the Hero of the Month. Year, ok.
I was shocked by the info and, as I do for everything, I googled it.
I couldn’t find a lot, because nowadays the market is focused on providing everything, every day, and everywhere.
But from farmer blogs I learned that twice a year chickens change their feathers, it’s called molting. They don’t even lay eggs as they go through a phase of recharging their nutrient reserves. Of course, in the mass market, they don’t even reach this phase. đ
The bad reputation of the bird of being always dry and chewy is most of the time truth, especially for breast meat, but it’s not chicken fault. Rooster, the verdict is: not guilty. Some birds are affected by a condition called “woody breast,” which is the result of stiff muscle fibers and looks like it’s linked to chickens that have been bred to get as big as possible as quickly as possible (WTF!!!). Most producers check for it by feeling for knots in the breasts, if they find it, most of the time they grind it (WTFF!!!).
Btw, I enormously reduced the amount of meat I eat because I started developing problems that urged a stop in that sense. And it looks like it’s working. I still eat meat from time to time, but it has to be organic, from a small farm and humane certified if possible.
Usa is the country of meat and they really know how to cook it, there is no discussion. Here I learned that the best way to enjoy chicken is to brine it. It’s a real game-changer.
I adapted this chicken recipe from the Judy Hesser’s Oven Fried Chicken on Food52, which I made 100 thousand times, it’s foolproof, and it’s the best crispy, juicy, baked chicken ever eaten at home.
I paired it with crunchy roasted potatoes following the trick that the Chef of the company I used to work for, Catering Enoteca La Torre (which honestly is the best caterer in Rome), told me once that I was his eating THE perfectly roasted potatoes that he made. Now I am mouthwatering thinking of their Millefoglie, Bavarese di Pappa al Pomodoro, and Gelatina di Aperol Spritz, my three desiderata (they do much fancier and superlative dishes but you know me, I always go for a classic…WOW).
Ingredients:
for the chicken
- 3 tablespoons sea salt (divided, plus more for serving)
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (organic or natural)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (the original recipe calls for butter)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (plus more for serving)
- for the potatoes:
- 2 big organic Russett potatoes, diced in 3/4 inch cubes. The uniform size will provide even cooking. Also, be sure they don’t crowd the baking sheet, space will get the crunchy finishing.
- extra virgin olive oil to coat
- salt
- pepper
Directions:
In the morning, combine 2 tablespoons salt and about a cup of warm water in a large bowl or container. Stir to dissolve the salt. Trim the chicken of excess skin and fat. Add the chicken to the bowl. Cover with very cold water and add a tray of ice cubes. Swish around with your hand to disperse them. Chill in the refrigerator until dinner time.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Remove the chicken from the fridge and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Put the olive oil in a roasting pan large enough to fit the chicken in one layer (But remember, Judy says, “You don’t want to crowd it or then it’ll stew, like mushrooms”). If you have a pan big enough to fit both chicken and potatoes, use it, or use two baking sheets and place oil on both of them. I prefer to use two baking sheets, so I have more control over the potatoes, and there is more space. Place the pan(s) in the oven.
Place potatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add extra-virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Set aside.
In a 1-gallon freezer bag, pour in the flour, remaining 1 tablespoon salt and the pepper. Give it a good shake. Add the chicken pieces two at a time and shake them until thoroughly coated. As you lift them out of the bag, shake them off vigorously. This is vital. You don’t want a gummy coating. Line them up on a plate, and repeat with the rest.
Lay the chicken pieces in the roasting pan, skin side down, and oven-fry until a chestnut brown and crisp on the bottom, about 40 minutes (sometimes it takes as long as an hour). Do the same with potatoes. The super hot pan will immediately make a crust on potatoes and chicken, keeping the inside moist.
Dont’ flip. Don’t flip. Don’t flip.
After 40 mins you are allowed to scrape them up off the pan and turn chicken and potatoes; cook the other side until the bottom is browned, which will take less time, around 20 minutes. After 40 minutes potatoes could be ready (it depends on the size and the type). If they are, take off from the oven and when it’s 10 mins to time place them back in the oven. So you can serve them hot
When the chicken it’s ready, grind fresh pepper over top and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and serve it with potatoes.
It pairs well with something citrusy, you can end your meal with the Yuzu Hot Sauce Cake!
