Josh White
Special to the Review
When you love a subject rather deeply you can become torn.
I was speaking with a musically-inclined friend of mine and the subject naturally strolled into the topic of modern polka music. I could not see the appeal. In fact, I refused to even try.
An overly passionate opinion on the subject will see the qualities, links and nuances to it, they can understand why some people love it and how its influences travel back and forth across the genres and the world.
This is an idea I have been trying out to make me a more amenable person. Can I understand why the bad exists and celebrate it within my areas of true loves and passions? Well, the answer is, I suppose, kind of, if I struggle hard enough.
I can look at bad products as an introductory level towards becoming the connoisseur. Or I can look at the modern fine dining chef movement where the top chefs are giving it up for an easier life, making simply the best burgers or fried chicken. The links can be circuitous.
I love(d) fried chicken from the first greasy shop I tried it back in London (please look into the chicken connoisseur on youtube).
The buttermilk fried guinea fowl I was serving in restaurants was a long departure from that experience, but having said that I think maybe not really. But to a more critical note, would anyone have ordered it if not initially familiar with the other end of that spectrum?
I still love bad fried chicken, it just may take a few more beers to get me to eat it. Similarly, I think you should definitely be inebriated before trying modern polka music, perhaps over a stein of something and a brat or two and extra sauerkraut. Okay, this scene may look pretty good now.
Many things are good because they are simple and the extra step of understanding makes them incredible, so let us bust the myth of water bath cooking over the happiest of mediums. Look into brining if you really love what we are doing here. The water bath method means you have perfect chicken every time with no risk of raw and no tough dry chewy sadness.
The greatest home fried chicken (or guinea fowl if pretentious like me)
Chicken pieces still on the bone but in sections according to your preference of leg or breast.
Place white meat in one ziplock bag.
Place dark meat in another.
Season as you please and seal tightly.
Place a big pan of water on the stove top and heat it gently to anywhere from 65 to 85 Celsius.
(you must own a digital thermometer, if not then shame on you for missing out on this)
(a water circulator will be standard in most kitchens one day so maybe look into that)
Add dark meat bags and cook for 1 hour.
Add the white meat bags and cook both for 1 more hour.
Grab 2 bowls
1 for buttermilk
1 for flour and a smattering of smoked paprika, salt and sugar
Heat a tall, large pan half filled with oil to around 200 Celsius
Remove chicken from bags and pat dry.
Dip in bowl 1, then bowl 2.
Fry until golden.
Enjoy.
@RevelstokeRevue
editor@revelstoketimesreview.com
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