Fried chicken
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Fried chicken is chicken which is dipped in a breaded mixture and then deep fried, pan fried, or pressure cooked. The breading seals in the juices but also absorbs the fat of the fryer, which is sometimes seen as unhealthy. The chicken itself may be chicken pieces on the bone with skin, or boneless and skinless pieces, usually breast meat, as in chicken fingers. Chicken for frying is usually a young, tender bird.
There are endless variations on the making of fried chicken, and some people hold ferocious views as to the "best" method. Some variations on chicken frying techniques include:
Before the breading and frying process, the chicken may be soaked in any one of a variety of liquids, including brine or buttermilk.
The breading itself may be a simple dusting of flour or seasoned flour, a coating of liquid batter, or a breading of crumbs, cornflakes, or other crunchy material. It can often be layered - for example, the chicken pieces may be dipped in milk, then flour, then eggs, then crumbs, and allowed to dry for a time before frying.
Once breaded, the chicken may be cooked by deep frying, pan frying, or pressure cooking. Another alternative is "oven fried chicken", which is baked rather than fried, but is still intended to produce chicken with a crisp coating. A recent innovation is known as "popcorn chicken." Small morsels of boneless chicken are battered and fried, resulting in little nuggets that resemble popcorn.
Fried chicken is generally considered a casual food, usually eaten with the fingers. As it is easily portable and can be eaten either hot or cold (indeed, some fried chicken aficionados prefer cold fried chicken to hot), it is a traditional picnic food and a popular take-out food.
Fried chicken is referred to in several North American subcultures as "Bird". While many prefer commercially available brands, purists insist on strictly homemade "bird".