I Tried "The Crispiest Fried Chicken In The World"

[@OlivierRiouxFournier]

In Nathan Myhrvold's book Modernist Cuisine, he explains that salting meat releases water, which dissolves the salt. As the salt dissolves, chloride and sodium ions permeate the meat. The chloride ions accumulate in the muscle fibers, and because of their negative electrical charge, they repel each other, forming small pockets where water accumulates. It's as if we're creating reservoirs to hold the water, instead of letting it move freely between the muscle fibers. The book also discusses the use of alcohol, beer and other gaseous beverages to create crispier batter. The principle is quite simple: use a liquid with a low boiling point (ethanol's boiling point is 78.4°C), so that it evaporates as quickly as possible, or use a solution containing a dissolved gas, causing the gas to expand rapidly. It should be noted, however, that using pure alcohol could alter the meat, which is one of the reasons why vodka is preferred, the other being that vodka is generally distilled several times to remove the aromatics, so there's less risk of leaving a taste.

[@SpiceBagHun]

Hey Barry using the vodka in a batter for fish can yield the same results; In response to the dry brine query essentially the salt draws out moisture from the protein and cause there is seasonings on the outside those flavours are pulled back into the protein!

[@mrbarrylewis]

Lovely stuff thanks for the info!

[@DawnShipley1977]

4:13 true butter milk is the byproduct of making butter. It is the water(liquid that separates from the butter when the butter is formed

[@badcatbad]

some alternatives: replace half the plain flour with rice flour, add some corn flour/starch, add some corn meal, instead of flour mix for the second dredge use crushed corn flakes/panko, use cold beer instead of vodka (keep all ingredients cold). these are just some of the things I've done.

[@michaelbuckingham716]

My kids go mad for cornflake covered chicken nuggets plus it’s healthier than store bought ones.

[@FriendsFamilyKitchen]

🍽👩‍🍳Absolutely fantastic tempting and delicious there's so much creativity. and the presentation is outstanding. Biglike Thanks for sharing

[@louisewhite9152]

Hi Barry - I haven’t watched the Vlog yet but I’m commenting as I’ve been binge watching all your videos and I find a really good and they can always make me smile. They have given me some amazing ideas especially as I live in a rehabilitation centre with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and lupus so my mum would have to cook them for me and bring them in for me but they all look so delicious ~ I hope you and your family had a lovely Easter ~ sending loads of love and loads of hugs to you and your family ~ Xxx Xxx

[@mrbarrylewis]

Thanks for the kind words, i'm glad you enjoy the videos, all the best

[@auntlynnie]

I dry-brine my turkey with a LOT of salt (like 3 tablespoons) with other seasonings for Thanksgiving, and I leave it uncovered in the fridge for a couple of DAYS. Rinse it off and dry it before re-seasoning and roasting. It's the salt interacting with the meat that does the work.

[@donnaw1271]

love that you're back in your kitchen

[@Matt19matt19]

Anyone that is apprehensive about frying their own chicken, if it's fully cooked etc, it's one of the only things I'll deep fry, try it with something like chicken breasts cut up into strips and get used to doing it. Chicken strips are much easier to do. Then move on to bone in.

[@melaniesmith1313]

Wow!!! Cannot wait to try this!

[@mrbarrylewis]

It was a seriously impressive crunch!

[@kennypelling7631]

That crunch, sounds like a tv advert. I want it lol......

[@eastfrisian_88]

That sounds excellent. Maybe I should buy a small deep fryer and try out the recipe (on the balcony, unfortunately I only have a small balcony door for ventilation and no extractor bonnet for a large living room/kitchen area). I already knew that chicken and buttermilk go really well together because I marinade my own BBQ meat overnight in homemade buttermilk marinade (my grandma's recipe) and my friends literally eat it out of my hands if I don't defend it rigorously. 😂

[@mavadelo]

In the Netherlands buttermilk is called Karnemeld and it is something we just drink like we do with normal milk.

[@Wububub]

That crunch was amazing, I could hear how good that chicken was. The juicines comes from the dry brine and the vodka.The brine pulls moisture from the chicken through osmosis, and some of the salt is pulled into the meat as well. As the chicken cooks, if the batter had water it would pull the salt and water back out, but the vodka doesn't, and as it evaporated, the bubbles aid in forming the crunch.

[@_SurferGeek_]

Actually... dry and wet brines work in similar ways by allowing the proteins to absorb salt and other flavorings. Dry brining is best for meats that will be seared. Other than being wet on the outside, wet brines don't actually add moisture to meats unless it was already a bit dry/dehydrated.

[@girlsdrinkfeck]

yeah meat acts like bricks in houses , got to be dry to absorb the damp in

[@_SurferGeek_]

@@girlsdrinkfeck The other difference is that proteins will try to reach a balance of sodium and water inside the cells. Salt in a dry brine will draw out moisture but it will then be reabsorbed. How much is absorbed is limited to how much moisture is on the surface. In a wet brine, the cells aren't limited as there is virtually an unlimited amount of liquid available. This will produce a juicier meat than a dry brine. Again though, this isn't conducive to getting a good sear like you would want on a steak.

[@mathboy1066]

This looks so tasty, another one for me to try!

[@mrbarrylewis]

Indeedy doodle

[@d.-_-b]

"why have you bought so much chicken?" "why is boston trying to do the downward dog?" 💀💀💀

[@mrbarrylewis]

True story!

[@inthekitchenwithpenn1]

I can hear you asking - how does this work ? - salt dries out the moisture . Heres how it works : First, the salt draws out the meat juices through a process called osmosis. Next, the salt dissolves into the juices, essentially turning into a “natural” brine even though there isn’t any added liquid. Finally, this brine is reabsorbed into the meat and starts breaking down tough muscle proteins, resulting in juicy, tender, seasoned meat.

[@reyytt3931]

Haha coming back after a year I kept typing ‘Barry Allen’ trying to find your videos wondering if you had the same name as the flash

[@letscookwithleigh]

Crispy smooth and tender!

[@snarky4lyfe144]

Barry, try corn starch in your flour mix for fried chicken. Its the secret to KFC's crunchy chicken! My mom worked there YEARS and years ago and she knows the secret recipe , which i also know. also frying in vegetable shortening rather than oil also helps give it more crunch ( also a KFC secret). after frying the chicken should go onto a paper bag lined cookie sheet and placed in a 250 F oven while the rest of the chicken cooks. also the oven helps cook the chicken all the way through ( just in case)

[@95sc0tty]

Anyone else like Barry's videos before they watch them because you just know it's gonna be worth it or is it just me?

[@mrbarrylewis]

haha that's cool

[@anndownsouth5070]

I do that with all my favorite channels. Some creators you just know it will be worth it. ❤❤❤

[@95sc0tty]

@@mrbarrylewis love all your videos Barry, you have gave me alot of inspiration in the kitchen.. I love cooking now more than I ever have 💯

[@mrbarrylewis]

Seriously that's awesome@@95sc0tty

[@95sc0tty]

@@mrbarrylewis I've got 3 young children who never stop eating 😅 and your food ideas have to be the best because they enjoy it when Im cooking and devour everything I make for them, much love my guy 💙 ps please don't stop making these awesome videos anytime soon I need the ideas lol

[@RealMunchies]

Wow, that batter looks and sounds amazing, think I'm gonna have to try it myself.. Thanks for the recipe!

[@whippy89]

I usually dry brine my steak overnight, definitley makes it juicier. It works because the salt initially draws out the moisture, but then the meat re-absorbs the liquid which draws IN the moisture and flavour of the salt all the way through the meat. Adam Ragusea or Guga Foods explain it a lot better than I do :D (The dry brining would have no influence on the crispiness of the meat or the coating though, not quite sure why the recipe implies that it would). Try dry brining a Steak (Sirloin, Ribeye or fillet) overnight, it really makes a difference in juiciness and flavour. Ironically the steak actually looks drier with a tacky texture, but that's because ALL the moisture has been absorbed inside the meat.

[@mrbarrylewis]

MIND BLOWN!

[@rolfs2165]

And that's also the difference between a dry brine and a rub, a rub has just a bit of salt for seasoning and will only sit on the meat for a few minutes before it goes on the heat.

[@jlan7844]

It would only make skin-on chicken crispier with a dry brine, since the chicken skin would get dried out as the meat was made juicier. And dry chicken skin equals crispy cooked chicken skin.

[@girlsdrinkfeck]

@@rolfs2165 go on, give your meat a good ol' rub

[@DawnShipley1977]

The only time I have found that it doesn't work as well is on a turkey. A wet brine works better on a whole turkey.

[@samhenwood5746]

That chicken looks amazing & thanks Barry 😋👍🍗

[@pabeader1941]

The buttermilk tenderizes and moisturizes the chicken. It's how it's done down there in the southern US.

[@OscarTRob]

that cinematic dolly zoom at 7:05 tho lol

[@ponderer467]

I’m so glad Zedaph introduced me to your channel!

[@Kuffen_infinity]

I think the brine dryes the outside layer and when cooked it hardens trapping the rest of the meat juces in, in theory i think its something like that, kinda like they say high heat and short cook for meat rather than long and low for searing a steak. But prettysure they have disprooven that. :)

[@dwaynewladyka577]

A brine always includes a liquid. That chicken looks great. Cheers, Barry! 👍🏻👍🏻✌️

[@alexsnow3319]

It disolves protein, making it more tender.

[@cassandranegri2052]

OMFG 🤤 This is happening in the Negri Family Kitchen within the next 24 hours 🍗 👩‍🍳 I’ve got hubby on to your channel now too. We both love your content 👏🏻👏🏻

[@mrbarrylewis]

Thanks a bunch!

[@cornflake233]

Southern Cook getting on here in Mississippi. I really do like that recipe and I am going to try it. Couple suggestions… First put a thin coating of flour on the chicken before you start battering it. Then shake off the excess. That will get the batter to hold onto everything. I noticed that your coating fell off when you bit into it. Second, shake off excess flour. It’s a little thing, but each of your coatings were too too thick. , but each of them should be thin and add to the crispiness. trying that vodka. I have tried that in my piecrusts and they turn out super crispy because the vodka evaporates.

[@cornflake233]

Word. That’s what we’re doing, eh? 😊

[@KonkelVonk]

So gonna make this, My Favorite is putting Raw crushed 2 minute Noodles with the wet batter, and also add the noodles spice to the flour. CRUNCH!!!!

[@JamieDyerFoodChannel]

Great video. A slice of classic Barry.

[@Dangerella]

The fried chicken came out looking very professional!

[@FlameMirage]

My mum use to add custard powder to the batter. Interesting recipe :3

[@mattymerr701]

As far as I know, the juiciness of meat is to do with the fats and oils more so than the actual moisture? Maybe what it is doing is using osmosis to draw out the moisture so it can be replaced with oils from the deep fryer?

[@ankur313]

Add Corn flakes to your flour mix, it will be even more crunchy.

[@Xani13]

The buttermilk is quite common (i.e. normal) in the US (especially in the Southern US) whereas the vodka addition is new to me. I might just try that when I make my jerk chicken later this (or next) week.

[@DMSparky]

I believe it’s the vodka evaporation in the deep fryer that gives it the insane crunch

[@mrbarrylewis]

Yeah I think that combined with the egg white perhaps too!

[@ponderer467]

That crunch 😮

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Barry! Love your content! This looks like a recipe i Will try soon! Hearth please ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@mrbarrylewis]

thanks

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

​@@mrbarrylewisNp! Huge fan 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@christianboutell7112]

Looks absolutely delicious 💯💥✨️

[@zantar666]

Ooof that was crisp cleeeeeean

[@twocvbloke]

One tip is when you coat the chicken, leave it for about half an hour for the wet-dip to soak into the coating, this helps it stay put on the chicken and stop it sticking to the basket (if you use one, I never did as I cooked mine in a deep cast iron frying pan!)... :)

[@YaaLFH]

It also lets the buttermilk do its job of tenderising the meat.

[@brendateague9111]

“Why is Boston trying to do the Downward Dog?” I lost it! 😂😂😂

[@dianapovero7319]

The vodka can't build up gluten the way water can, also you can swap flour out for potato starch & baking soda to your dry brine for extra crispiness. PS the vodka trick also works for pie crust.

[@scottmichaelharris]

The salt changes the shape of the proteins, so that when they cook, they don’t squeeze out as much moisture. Flavour goes all the way through the chicken also.

[@neetscholar4149]

Just a theory: The dry brine at the beginning is used to remove a lot of the meat's moisture, and that WOULD leave the meat dry if that was the last step. But then you coat it in that wet stuff in the next phase. So my guess is that removing the initial moisture allows more flavored moisture to seep in at the coating phase. In other words, you replaced the original moisture with a more flavorful one. I think. Edit: Oh yeah, also wanted to add: White egg is commonly used as an emulsifier. Translation: it can bind to water. It can bind to oil. It can be used to bind oil and water together. So maybe the white egg can grab the outside frying oil, while also retaining any water-based moisture still inside.

[@patches1973ful]

Hey BL, next time you apply a rub or powder, use a zipper bag OR a deep bowl and wrap Master 3000, then add your rub or powder with chicken. Better coverage and faster. Shake, Shake, Shake

[@johnbirdsong3667]

The vodka evaporated from the wet as it cooked. That's why you can use vodka in pie crust to get crispy crusts.

[@YaaLFH]

There's a lot of fun science happening here! Dry brine: keyword "osmosis" Buttermilk (also kefir or yoghurt): keyword "denaturation" Vodka (or more precisely alcohol, it doesn't have to be specifically vodka; vodka is used because it's neutral, doesn't add its own taste): keyword "evaporation" There's also some room for improvement - you could substitute potato or corn starch for up to half of the plain flour to make the coating even more crispy. Best fried chicken in the world is Korean fried chicken, that's a fact.

[@FalcusSTG]

As far as I'm aware the reason why dry brining like that in advance makes it juicier is due to it drawing the moisture out which then gets reabsorbed by the food, and then breaks down some of the proteins into liquid. Whether that's accurate or not though I'm unsure, that's just what I have heard and never fact checked.

[@Jorgen223]

add starch (1/3 or 1/2 maybe?) and fry again (optional i believe) after it has cooled down a bit

[@tamus41]

I wonder if marinating the chicken in buttermilk for a few hours, before the dry brining, would make any difference?

[@lorrainefitchett9671]

Could this recipe work cooking the chicken in the air fryer? I love it but don’t have a deep fryer

[@thanight705]

if you just want the dry brine neutral use just salt

[@whiterabit]

Looks lush ❤❤❤

[@bradasstv]

Glad you drop the chicken into the oil slowly. Watch a lot of people sit it in a dry basket and then lower that into the fryer, which creates a huge mess lol. You end up dealing with food with the batter torn off and then you have to try and clean a basket with batter all fried on it lol

[@PassiveAgressive319]

Baking powder can sometimes give a cakey texture. Maybe bicarbonate instead?👍

[@BexandAiden1111]

Can you try baking soda to velvetise (not a word) chicken please be interesting to see the results

[@FoxPurtill]

Thinking egg/vodka before flour will help it stick to the chicken better rather than fall off.

[@faenethlorhalien]

Crispy Fried Chicken: the password to happiness.

[@CarlGorn]

I learned the basic recipe from Maangchi, then fine-tuned it, and since you asked... Korean Fried Chicken INGREDIENTS: 3 lbs. raw chicken 1 teaspoon ground pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon chipotle powder ½ cup potato starch ¼ cup flour ¼ cup glutinous rice flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 egg METHOD: • Preheat oven to 400ºF/204ºC. • Evenly coat chicken with seasonings. • Add in flours and egg, then stir to combine. Coat chicken with the thick batter. • Fry in 1 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until lightly golden. Chicken should bubble when first put in - if not, oil is not hot enough. • Remove to sheet pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until tender.

[@mammie19621962]

I do the buttermilk batter - minus the vodka & baking soda + plus cornstarch & paprika instead. 😋😋😋😋😋

[@brendakrieger7000]

A must try🍗🍗🍗

[@alexorpha5841]

if you let them uncovered in the frindge at night it will help the chicken to be more dry

[@TikiTim]

If Voddy works imagine the joy of adding rum to your fried chicken 😍

[@everchangingskies]

how did you find cleaning those floured fried tongs lol

[@googletakesovertheworld]

in America, buttermilk is not thick like that, but thin like regular milk

[@chrisrowe8596]

0:52 Sir Barry did you predict Back to the Future 4 with Tom Holland?!🎉🎉

[@cheshkat6321]

Stop that! I am making shawarma with my chicken. No matter how much you tease and tempt me with crispy fried chicken. I am not thinking about fried chicken and waffles with my favorite waffle batter for chicken and waffles. And a new waffle maker. Not thinking about the new bottle of special maple syrup I got from Amazon drizzled over crispy fried chicken. No. I'll just clean up the drool and go have a bowl of waffles and ice cream to cool off. Careful meal planning and can always count on a video to come along and have me rethinking my food choices. I watch too many food videos. Can't resist them.

[@imjustsaying7300]

Cluck cluck yum

[@cyrilsurreal81]

3:15 Boston did a blahem

[@hodakaroadtoad]

The last chicken I made was Korean fried chicken from a Korean chef and it used vodka. I had to go out and buy one of those mini bottles.

[@RevJR]

Do an Amish-style broasted chicken next.

[@Facts4Fun1]

Please come to my house and make this chicken for me!!!!

[@louiselill1528]

That looks like chip shop batter well done

[@cw6082]

I tried churches chicken the other day it was pretty good tbh

[@tamijoiskewl]

Have turkey breasts I brined I'm going to do this with them! Can't do breast meat otherwise it's much to dry for my pallet. I'll let u know

[@katesmiles4208]

Vodka chicken, I'm in! 👍

[@jonathanfinan722]

At least there aren't any dangerous lunatics saying that you should wash chicken.

[@gavinbamford1095]

A load of chilli flakes mixed in would be good too.

[@NickBartolo]

I would like to try this, but using thighs. Drumsticks are too sinewy for me.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Try Snoop Dogg's fried chicken! It could be fun! 🍗🍗🍗🍗

[@LillibitOfHere]

I would probably just do straight Old Bay.

[@waelosman]

I have a fried chicken wings recipe that made me open 3 restaurants and eventually only sold the recipe for $5,000… if you’re interested in that, I could share 😊

[@SingerBabyJay]

Pretty cool! I may try this with tofu as well 😋👍 I was also wondering how your new studio is coming? Many blessings ❤

[@MusingsFromTheDen]

Please tell me you fried the bits of coating that stuck to the tongs and made crunchy scraps. 😂 I wonder what it would be like on fish? 🤔

[@TheKingOfBeans]

The crispiest fried chicken I’ve ever had is from a Korean restaurant called bonchon. The batter is like biting into a toffee apple 😂

[@GyroCannon]

Dry brine is definitely a bad term, because you're right - it's a dry rub - but alas that is the term that we ended up with...

[@annother3350]

Koreans would out the chicken back in to fry after being out for a few mins for the xtra crisp crunch

[@jonjohnson2844]

Last time I put chicken in the fridge overnight it ate my prawns.

[@kuboteusz]

How cold is in your house??

[@anndownsouth5070]

How old is Phobe now? Are you sure she is not legally old enough to drink?

[@mrbarrylewis]

16 very soon!

[@anndownsouth5070]

@mrbarrylewis almost then. With you being in Britain and not USA. 🤪

[@rolfs2165]

@@anndownsouth5070 Don't know about the UK, but in Germany 16 is when you're allowed to drink beer. Strong alcohol like vodka and spirits has to wait until you're 18.

[@anndownsouth5070]

​@rolfs2165 I really did not mean to imply that his 16 yo daughter should be drinking hard liquor. I was really just teasing a bit. I'm not even sure if in South Africa we have a "legal drinking age" as such. I am pretty sure you have to be 18 to be served alcohol in a bar/pub or restaurant or buy booze at a store. But other than that I really don't know. I'm 61 now so I can drink if and when and where I want. 😅

[@alfhonikmusic]

3:03 fnaf jumpscare

[@scottc.dickinson1462]

The sound went out part way thru.

[@Matt19matt19]

I've had chicken that tasted like salmon/fish before. Turned out to be the takeaway using dirty oil and also cooking fish in the same oil. 🤣

[@deereating9267]

I don't know when 'buttermilk' became a cultured dairy item. Buttermilk was always the liquid left over after making butter from cream. That's something to try, make some homemade butter and then you'll have real buttermilk. That chicken looks delicious though.