davis_square | (no subject)

By far, the best fried chicken in the area is at Coast Cafe in Cambridge.

http://coastsoulcafe.com/

Trust me. Go there.

Is that pan-fried or deep-fried?

... I think deep-fried, but I could be wrong. All I know is that the skin is crispy and delicious, and the chicken is moist and perfect. FREAKING PERFECT.

I can't verify from personal experience, but I remember a Chowhound discussion on fried chicken came to the same conclusion.

Just asked 'em - turns out it's deep fried. My search continues!

Seriously, it may not be exactly what you're looking for, but you should check them out. SO. GOOD.

Oh I absolutely plan on it. (particularly after having pestered them on the phone.)

Haha, awesome. Also, get the banana pudding.

I don't recall ever seeing pan fried chicken in a restaurant. That's how my mom made it, but I always thought that was just because we didn't have a deep fryer. Do you make it at home?

Sometimes! Not in several months, at this point, though.

My understanding has always been that it marks the difference between Atlantic-coast and Gulf-coast fried chicken traditions.

Edited 2009-03-13 19:05 (UTC)

Really? Interesting. My grandmother always pan-fried chicken, but we always got it deep-fried from the restaurant. I guess I'll have to conduct some field tests ...

I am having trouble understanding how "deep fried" can ever be the wrong answer. Can you enlighten me?

It's not necessarily the "wrong" answer - I certainly enjoy chicken fried that way.

Pan fried chicken is the way Mom did it, and her Mom before her, and on back for a while. It's also the way most folks are going to be able to manage at home.

I don't know that it's superior or inferior, really - but it's what I'm currently hankering for.

Well, the hankering is in your blood then, and *clearly* the answer is to have potluck where your contribution is pan-fried chicken; you can give us all lessons.

_{And don't forget to invite *me*.}

Gramma pan fried chicken dipped in honey for me once. What I wouldn't do for some of that, but I don't know how to get it like she did.

_{Every once in a while, I try this with tofu. It's yummy, but ain't the real thing...}.

Pan fried tofu always ends up mushy on me, but deep-fried tofu is pretty well where it's at. I like marinating the tofu sticks in teriaki and not being shy with the sriracha when they're done.

The secret to pan-frying tofu, for me, is to press the hell out of it (press it for at least an hour), then marinate in something for a half-hour, then toss it in cornstarch. Also, start with good tofu--Reliable Market and Super 88 have the good stuff.

Well, sure you press it. But for some reason pan frying tofu doesn't get along with me.

The way to do it is by first freezing and thawing the tofu, *then* squeeze it out. Different world.

This is part of why I can never own a deep fryer.

Ah, that makes sense :). Good luck finding it!

My wife and I second this. She's from Mississippi, and their fried chicken breasts always remind her of home.

Where in Mississippi?

I used to go to summer camp in Utica, MS. The women who worked in the kitchen made THE BEST fried chicken on Earth. THE BEST. This reminds me of their chicken :).

Tupelo. Her grandmother makes a mean fried chicken which I always request (and get :D) every time we visit.

Haha, I went to camp with 2 brothers from Tupelo. The older one had a shirt that said:

Whereinthehellis
Tupelo, MS?

Heheh, awesome. Now she's on the hunt to find that shirt XD