Gluten, Casein, and Corn-free Fried Chicken

On the way home from Trader Joe’s yesterday, with a four pound cut up whole chicken in my bag, I passed by the local Brown’s Chicken. Years ago, in what seemed like another life, I got my first job there. So in my nostalgia I spent a few moments considering the right ingredients for a good crispy piece of fried chicken. Then I pondered what it would look and taste like if it were gluten, corn, and casein-free.

I tried two batter recipes. If you look closely you will see that the legs have a smooth breading and the breast and thigh’s breading appears extra crispy.

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken, cut into serving pieces (about 4 lbs)

2 eggs

Olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Now choose your breading mix:

Regular Fried Breading:

1 1/2 cups of Betty Hagman’s GF flour mix (2 parts brown rice flour, 2/3 part potato flour, 1/3 part tapioca flour)

Extra Crispy Breading:

1 cup of Betty Hagman’s GF flour mix

1/2 cup of GF oat flour (we use Lara’s Oats from Cream Hill Estates)

1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar

Directions:

Preheat the manufacturer’s suggested amount of olive oil in your deep fryer (I have a Presto Cool Daddy Deep Fryer) to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat eggs in a small shallow bowl. In a separate bowl mix the salt, pepper, and breading mix of your choice. Wash and pat dry each piece of chicken. Coat each with the eggs then roll them in the breading mix. Be sure to heavily coat each piece. Place the chicken pieces in the fryer basket and fry for 10-15 minutes, turning once. My fryer comfortably fits three pieces at one time.

Remove the pieces and bake them in the oven on a metal rack at 350 for an additional 15-25 minutes (this way you won’t be frying for an hour and a half to get the whole bird done). I fried my largest pieces first so that they had ample time to finish cooking in the oven. Smaller pieces will cook much faster.

This dish takes approximately 10 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to fry (in three batches). The chicken preserves well in the refrigerator and tastes great out of the lunch box cold.

Note: Those with severe allergies to corn may react to chicken that is not certifiably corn-free. Please visit the safe list at: Corn-Free Foods Blogspot for a listing of approved chickens if you have a severe allergy to corn.