Asher Rose Fox (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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gluten_free2021-06-04 07:13 pm
rosefox) wrote in gluten_free2021-06-04 07:13 pm
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Chicken dredged in GF matzo ball mix, oven-fried in cast iron
I had a craving for oven-fried chicken, so I looked up a recipe on Cook's Country and realized that all the seasonings it calls for mixing into the flour are in matzo ball mix. And I happened to have a box and a half of GF matzo ball mix left over from Passover. So I dumped that into a bowl to use as my flour and it worked really well! Since I didn't have to measure out all the seasonings, the chicken was very easy to make: dredge, cook, cool, serve. From looking up the recipe to putting dinner on the table took about an hour and 15 minutes.
The recipe as written makes for a very crunchy crust, thanks to the bits of dough formed by adding water to the matzo ball mix. If you prefer a more crispy and less crunchy coating, skip the water and double-dredge instead (egg, then matzo meal, then egg, then matzo meal). Or use GF all-purpose flour and the seasonings of your choice to make a finer coating.
You will need a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven that's at least 12" wide to accommodate this much chicken. I used a 12" Le Creuset Dutch oven and just barely managed to wedge in all 10 chicken thighs. If you have a smaller skillet or Dutch oven, reduce the recipe or cook the chicken in batches. Put the skillet in the cold oven and then start the oven heating so the iron really heats up—that's what mimics the stovetop frying. Be careful handling the hot vessel!
Ingredients
2 lb bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 10 thighs)
2 eggs
3 packs (1.5 boxes) Manischewitz GF matzo ball mix, or about 1.5 cups of flour with the seasonings of your choice
2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup canola or peanut oil
Salt and pepper
Instructions
0) Mise en place. Gather your ingredients and tools. Put the skillet in the oven and start heating to 450F. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it lightly with salt and pepper. In one bowl, whisk the eggs. In another, use your fingers to rub the water into 2 packs of matzo ball mix until the water is absorbed and small clumps of dough form. Then add in the third pack and stir with your fingers. Have a large plate available.
1) Dredge the chicken. Dip a piece of chicken into the egg, and briefly let the excess drip off. Place it skin side down into the bowl of matzo ball mix. Cover it with additional mix and press firmly to encourage sticking. Then move it to the plate, skin side up. Repeat with remaining pieces.
2) "Fry" the chicken. When the oven is hot, VERY CAREFULLY remove the VERY HOT skillet and place it on the stovetop. Pour in the oil. Immediately add the chicken, skin side down. Put the skillet back in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken, trying not to disturb the coating, and cook for another 15 minutes or until the thickest part of the largest piece reaches 175F.
3) Let the chicken rest. Set up a wire rack over a baking sheet. Next to it place a triple-thick stack of paper towels. When the chicken is done, use tongs to grip one piece from the sides (so the coating on the top and bottom isn't damaged) and blot it on the paper towels before placing it on the rack. Repeat with remaining pieces. Let rest 10 minutes. (This is a good time to make a quick vegetable side dish.)
Eat the fried chicken immediately, or let it cool completely before storing. If you cover the chicken while it's still hot, the coating will get soggy.
Source: https://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/11139-cast-iron-oven-fried-chicken
The recipe as written makes for a very crunchy crust, thanks to the bits of dough formed by adding water to the matzo ball mix. If you prefer a more crispy and less crunchy coating, skip the water and double-dredge instead (egg, then matzo meal, then egg, then matzo meal). Or use GF all-purpose flour and the seasonings of your choice to make a finer coating.
You will need a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven that's at least 12" wide to accommodate this much chicken. I used a 12" Le Creuset Dutch oven and just barely managed to wedge in all 10 chicken thighs. If you have a smaller skillet or Dutch oven, reduce the recipe or cook the chicken in batches. Put the skillet in the cold oven and then start the oven heating so the iron really heats up—that's what mimics the stovetop frying. Be careful handling the hot vessel!
Ingredients
2 lb bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 10 thighs)
2 eggs
3 packs (1.5 boxes) Manischewitz GF matzo ball mix, or about 1.5 cups of flour with the seasonings of your choice
2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup canola or peanut oil
Salt and pepper
Instructions
0) Mise en place. Gather your ingredients and tools. Put the skillet in the oven and start heating to 450F. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it lightly with salt and pepper. In one bowl, whisk the eggs. In another, use your fingers to rub the water into 2 packs of matzo ball mix until the water is absorbed and small clumps of dough form. Then add in the third pack and stir with your fingers. Have a large plate available.
1) Dredge the chicken. Dip a piece of chicken into the egg, and briefly let the excess drip off. Place it skin side down into the bowl of matzo ball mix. Cover it with additional mix and press firmly to encourage sticking. Then move it to the plate, skin side up. Repeat with remaining pieces.
2) "Fry" the chicken. When the oven is hot, VERY CAREFULLY remove the VERY HOT skillet and place it on the stovetop. Pour in the oil. Immediately add the chicken, skin side down. Put the skillet back in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken, trying not to disturb the coating, and cook for another 15 minutes or until the thickest part of the largest piece reaches 175F.
3) Let the chicken rest. Set up a wire rack over a baking sheet. Next to it place a triple-thick stack of paper towels. When the chicken is done, use tongs to grip one piece from the sides (so the coating on the top and bottom isn't damaged) and blot it on the paper towels before placing it on the rack. Repeat with remaining pieces. Let rest 10 minutes. (This is a good time to make a quick vegetable side dish.)
Eat the fried chicken immediately, or let it cool completely before storing. If you cover the chicken while it's still hot, the coating will get soggy.
Source: https://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/11139-cast-iron-oven-fried-chicken