Chef Edward Lee skillfully layers Asian ;avors, such as a Filipino-inspired
adobo, ;sh sauce and Thai chiles, into Southern fried chicken, creating a
global take on this popular comfort food.
DIPPING SAUCE
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 fresh Thai bird or habanero
peppers, thinly sliced
¼ cup soy sauce
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
ADOBO BROTH
2½ cups distilled white vinegar
1½ cups water
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 bay leaves
1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon sugar
FRIED CHICKEN
2 pounds chicken, thighs and/
or drumsticks, plus wings if
desired (do not use breasts)
Salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
About 8 cups peanut oil for
deep-frying
To make the dipping sauce: Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the adobo broth: In a large pot, combine all of the ingredients,
cover with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Simmer for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down as low as it will go.
Arrange the chicken pieces on a work surface and season them with salt.
Add the chicken pieces to the gently simmering broth, cover and poach for
15 minutes, turning once halfway through. You want the chicken to poach
gently and stay moist while picking up the flavor of the broth, so make
sure the liquid does not get hotter than a gentle simmer. Turn off the heat
and allow the chicken to cool in the liquid, covered, about 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken pieces from the adobo broth (discard the broth) and
transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Pat dry.
To fry the chicken: Pour the buttermilk into a large shallow bowl. In another
bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, the paprika and the pepper. Dip
each chicken piece in the buttermilk, shake off any excess liquid, dredge
in the flour mixture, turning to coat, and transfer to a large plate. Let stand
at room temperature for 15 minutes. The flour coating will turn a little
soft—that’s a good thing.
Meanwhile, fill a large, deep cast-iron skillet about half full with peanut
oil. Heat the oil to 365 F. Cook the chicken pieces, 2 or 3 at a time, for
8 to 10 minutes, turning every minute or so, depending on how thick the
pieces are; wings will cook faster and drumsticks will take the longest.
Be sure to keep the oil temperature at around 350 to 365 F. The chicken
is cooked when the internal temperature reaches at least 165 F. Using
tongs, lift the chicken out of the oil and drain on paper towels. Season
again with a little salt, and transfer to a platter.
Serve the fried chicken with the dipping sauce. Eat it hot! Makes 6 servings.
Adapted from Smoke & Pickles, by Edward Lee (Artisan Books, 2013).
BEN FINK
Scallops and Roasted Pepper Chutney
New Delhi–born chef Suvir Saran calls on traditional Indian seasonings such as
garam masala and toasted cumin seeds to spice up classic sautéed scallops.
SCALLOPS
CHUTNEY
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 red peppers
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium red onion
2-inch piece of gingerroot,
peeled and finely chopped
1-inch piece of gingerroot
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons lime juice
16 large scallops
(from about 1 lime)
1½ tablespoons ghee
or clarified butter
1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons
kosher salt
½ teaspoon toasted cumin
seed powder
½ teaspoon cracked peppercorns
½ teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon cayenne
Place the olive oil, garlic, ginger and cayenne in a resealable gallon-size
plastic bag. Add the scallops and turn to coat. Refrigerate the scallops
while you make the chutney.
To make the chutney: Set an oven rack at the upper-middle position and
heat the broiler to high. Place the peppers, onion and ginger on an alumi-num-foil-lined baking sheet and broil for 15 minutes, turning often, until all
sides of the vegetables and ginger are charred (you may need to remove
the ginger before the peppers and onion are finished). Place them in a large
bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 30 minutes. Peel the charred skin
from the peppers and onion and trim the blackened skin from the ginger.
Place the roasted and peeled vegetables and ginger in a food processor
along with the heavy cream, lime juice, salt, toasted cumin seed powder,
cracked peppercorns, garam masala and cayenne, and pulse until smooth.
To cook the scallops: Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat for
2 minutes. Add the ghee or clarified butter and heat for 1 minute. Add
enough scallops to fill the skillet and cook until they’re browned, about
1½ minutes, without moving. Flip the scallops over and cook the other
side until browned, about 1 minute longer. Place the scallops on a large
serving dish. Cover with foil to keep warm and cook remaining scallops.
When all of the scallops are browned, discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat
from the skillet and add the chutney. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to
medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes. Taste the chutney for seasoning,
pour over the scallops and serve. Makes 8 servings.
