A nice basic discussion of pressure frying with kudos to The Colonel.
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I decided to break out the cooker and try this again this weekend. For those who haven't seen it, here is the Original Recipe as published by the Chicago Tribune in 2016: https://www.chicagotribune.com/trave...818-story.html
The people who have tried the recipe say that the /Ts/ stands for tablespoons. That would have been my guess since I write recipes with a /T/ for tablespoons and a /t/ for teaspoons.
Here is my KFC cooker: Mirro brand, date code 11/1969, KFC serial number 52708:
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Weather hasn't been cooperating so I had to try this indoors. It worked fine, not sure why I had problems a few years ago, probably tried to cook too much chicken. Tonight the stove handled it fine. I cooked the equivalent to one chicken at a time. My understanding is that these pressure cookers can hold two chickens. First run was 5 drumsticks and two smaller thighs. Second run was 4 drumsticks and two larger thighs.
First run went a little longer - about 10 minutes under pressure and then three minutes before I got the lid off. The lid was being obstinate but I got it off. Chicken temped at 195-205. It was juicy and good. Batter was crispier that what you get now at KFC - they cook at a lower pressure now.
Temps: Added the chicken to peanut oil at 385 degrees. Temp at end of cook was 273 degrees.
Second run was two minutes shorter, it was a little tougher, collagen did not break down as much. Plus I got the lid off quickly so there wasn't an extra couple of minutes cooking.
Taste: pretty close to KFC's Original Recipe. Some people on the web say that if you add a little MSG (about 1 tablespoon) it will taste exactly like KFC. I don't use MSG so I'll never know.
I started at 385* because the old video of Col. Sanders showed him using a starting temp of 400* and subsequent videos posted by others start at 365-375*. I thought the batter was over done and thus lost some flavor. Next time I'm going to start the chicken at 350* and cook longer to see if that gives a more tender batter and tender chicken.
Here are pics:
Chicken added at 385*
I tried to capture the steam but it didn't show up. 29 7/10 weight.
First run
Second run
So, the basic method is this: For my stove (1950 O'Keefe & Merritt gas stove) the burner stays on maximum during the entire cook. When oil reaches desired temperature, add the chicken. Cook one minute with the lid off to set the batter. Stir the chicken and put lid on. Pressure starts venting within two minutes. Cook about 10 - 12 minutes, turn off burner and vent pressure. Remove lid and move chicken to a cooling rack.
Last edited by 58limited; July 26, 2020, 08:15 PM.Comment
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Another evening of playing with the KFC pressure cooker. I wasn't satisfied with the last batch, I thought the connective tissue (tendons, etc.) were still a little tough. This time I made the original recipe* and put the chicken in the cooker when the oil reached 325*. Waited one minute to put the lid on. Cooked for 15 minutes, turned off burner, released pressure (about 1 minute), and removed the chicken. Ending temp of the oil was 275*. Then I heated to 300* and added some fresh garden jalapeno bottle caps (same original recipe breading) to the oil - no lid. Yum! The chicken was nice and tender, flavor is very close to KFC Original.
Fresh jalapenos from the garden - they are small, longest is about 2 inches. These ended up being very hot!
Yep, I took a bite out of the chicken while the bottle caps fried.
*Previously, I used dried leaves for the basil, thyme, and oregano. Last time I used powdered leaves ('cause I sift the flour to remove the wet parts so I can re-use it. The leaves get sifted out. but I used the same measurements listed in the recipe. The flavor was off. This time I used 1/3 of the amount of powdered herbs (1/2 tsp vs. 1/2 Tbsp). Flavor is almost identical to KFC original.Last edited by 58limited; August 20, 2020, 06:47 PM.Comment
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Made some more chicken with the pressure fryer tonight. Based on this youtube video ( https://youtu.be/7WJYOgzFydc ) I bought some seasoning blend from Pat Grace's in Ireland. This is supposedly the real KFC Original Recipe as given to Pat Grace by Col. Sanders.
I had a quick conversation with another youtube commenter who had worked at KFC in the early 1970s and who used a pressure fryer like mine. He said they would put the chicken in at 400o and let it fry with the lid off for 4 minutes. Then they would put the lid, reduce the heat, and cook for 7-8 minutes more before releasing pressure and removing the chicken.
I used this method with the Pat Grace seasoning tonight. The problem I ran into is that I only cooked 5 pieces of chicken; KFC would cook two chickens (about 18 pieces) at once. Five pieces did not drop the oil temperature enough and the chicken, while good, was a bit overdone. This affected the taste by lightly scorching the breading but a few bites tasted just like old school KFC. I'll cook more this week at a lower temperature and see.
The seasoning:
The chicken:
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You should make chick-fil-a. I found a clone recipe that is pretty damn close.Comment
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Yes. Soak boneless skinless chicken cutlets (breast or thigh) in pickle juice for an hour to three then a milk and egg wash, then dredge in 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons confecioners sugar, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon table salt, 1/2 teaspoon each of pepper, celery salt, basil and garlic powder. Fry her up! Huskee
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OK, tried again tonight. I cooked eight drumsticks. I put them in when the oil hit 345o and let them brown about 4 minutes. On went the lid for 10 minutes. The oil temperature had dropped to 293o by this time. After removing the chicken the oil was about 235o or so - I didn't remember to measure until about 2 minutes after removing the chicken. The chicken was really tender and juicy. Flavor-wise I'd say: Yes, Pat Grace's seasoning is basically what I remember tasting when I grew up in the 1970s and 80s. It is similar to current KFC but better. Like the old Original, it stuck to my fingers. Finger Lickin' Good!
Milk and egg wash then flour. Look at the size of that one leg, I put it into the oil, waited one minute, then added the rest.
Done. Even the huge leg was good, just one little tough piece.
Next I'll play around with the Marion Kay 99-X but I might wait a few days, need some grease free meals first.Last edited by 58limited; September 20, 2022, 07:12 PM. Reason: Edited for content and to fit this screenComment
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Marion Kay 99-X trial
I made a batch last night and forgot to take photos. Using Marion Kay's instructions (2T seasoning, 3 T salt, and 4 C flour) gave a good flavored chicken but not nearly as boldly seasoned as KFC Original or the Pat Grace's Strong Blend.
Tonight I doubled the seasoning amount but it still isn't as strongly seasoned. It is pretty good though. I will take a break for a few days and try triple strength and see how it tastes.
Pressure fryer on my new propane burner - it can put out up to 270K BTU, I bought it to use with my 30" plow disk cooker. There is a homemade heat deflector under the handle, otherwise it gets too hot and I'm afraid the Bakelite would be affected. I heated the oil to 350o and added the chicken. I let it brown about 4 minutes, turned the burner down to a 1/4" flame cone, and put the lid on for eight minutes. Final oil temperature when I took the lid off was 276o or so.
Last edited by 58limited; October 4, 2022, 05:46 PM.Comment
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Marion Kay 99-X part 2
This is the last experiment with the Marion Kay 99-X seasoning. I doubled the salt and tripled the spice blend. The chicken came out good, tender, and juicy. The spice isn't quite like KFC Original and tripling it made the MSG a little strong in my opinion, it left a weird taste in my mouth. Doubling the salt was also a bit much. The spice blend has salt as well so maybe doubling the salt and the spice would give the best results and balance. Maybe I'll do that when I get the pressure fryer out again but for now I'm done with fried chicken for awhile.
Conclusion:
The Grace's Perfect Blend, to me, tastes just like the old school KFC Original recipe that I remember growing up. It comes premixed and it seems to coat the chicken better than the seasoned flour that I made with the Marion Kay 99-X. The drawback is shipping costs.
The Marion Kay 99-X is close but not the same. It is, however, a great all around seasoning mix for frying or oven roasting. I think this winter I'll use it on some smothered steaks.
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Funny I was just about to order some Pat Grace's spices. I also want to try the 99-X too. May give them both a go. How long did it take to get the Pat Grace's?
Add to that, I have been wanting one of these kettles for years. Guess I need to start looking again!Comment
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Pointers for anyone who acquires one of these pressure fryers:
1. Replace the gasket and safety pop off, even if the one with the fryer looks good. These parts are too cheap to risk having problems due to not replacing them.
2. Dunk the gasket in the cold oil, drain it a little, and put it into the lid. I tried using the gasket dry, darned near couldn't get the lid off when the chicken was done. Next I lightly coated the mating surface of the gasket with a thin layer of oil, same results. Finally I dipped the entire gasket and now the lid comes off easily.
3. Wash and clean the fryer in the sink with soap and water. I run the rubber gasket through the dish washer.
4. The oil can be filtered and re-used numerous times. You can save the flour debris (Fryer Leavins) in the bottom to make gravy like Col. Sanders did back in the day. It is basically precooked roux.
5. There is a mark on the inside showing the oil level, do not exceed this amount. Also, do not add too much chicken, the oil should not come up more than 2/3 of the way when the chicken is in. The oil will be roiling and boiling with the chicken added (you know: frying), you don't want it to contact the lid since it could clog the vent or damage the safety pop off.
6. I prefer to use this outside so that if something happens it hopefully won't damage the house. An oil spill on a kitchen floor is a royal pain to clean and is very slippery. An oil fire will ruin your day, and an explosion more so. I'm not afraid of this cooker but I pay attention when using it. As I mentioned in a post above, thousands of teenagers used these without issue back in the day but I'm glad KFC now uses safer equipment.
7. Wear leather or thick rubber gloves when popping the weight open to release pressure. That steam will blow right through the cloth of a regular oven mitt, ask me how I know...
Last edited by 58limited; October 9, 2022, 04:58 PM.Comment
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Just to update this post: Grace's Perfect Blend is now available in the U.S. from https://sapidumfoods.com/
It is cheaper than ordering from Ireland.Comment
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Thanks! This reminds me. Ordered some Grace's. I have the old Wear-Ever Chicken bucket, 6 Qt. Should do the trick. Been way too busy these last few years.Comment
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