Sometimes I wonder what my cooking and eating habits will become when I have kids. I have friends who were health nuts but once had kids, started eating meat because it was good protein for their kids. Allowed their kids to eat fast food and oreo's because their friends were eating it and they wanted it too. If I could I think I would screen each kid at the school to make sure my kid wouldn't hand out with so-and-so. I use to work with kids and I know how your children primarily pick up bad habits from other kids. Picking up bad words, behavioral problems and germs. YUCK!
At any rate, one thing is for sure I could never give up meat. I've eaten less of it now then I ever have, it now accompanies my veggies. Whereas before it was like most people who used the meat to be the star. This is fine for parties and dining out. But if you continue to eat too much meat. You will die of cholesterol. But I love my meat! In fact I love it so much I'm willing to name my child Fillet. It's a play on words, get it? "Fillet Mignon," "Fish Fillet," you can even cut it short "Fille" to mean "little girl in french." Its cute, don't steal it.
What better way to eat meat, then to deep fry it!!! Being healthy would never be worth living for if there weren't alternatives. One of which, I had given up for the longest time but realized now that in moderation and only on special occasions I can have fried chicken. I loveeee fried chicken. What's not to love about deep fried goodness. Every country has its own version of it. Thusly I have formed the Republic of Linda and created the: GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, DEEP FRIED SORT OF HEALTHY CHICKEN! I spotted this recipe on Larie Colwin's gluten free cook book. As always I spot, steal, and make it better ;)
I hope you enjoy. This is one of the more rather complicated recipes, but its a fun one and I promise you won't know the difference. Gluten free has a bad rap. I use to buy gluten free granola from TJ's that tasted like cardboard. Truth is some times to be healthy you have to eat more bland. But in realty if you hone your taste buds and give them a break from the over indulgence of flavors, your buds will heal and you will realize how amazingly sweet asparagus can be. Or how flavorful cucumber is. Real chefs understand this, and therefore you won't see ketchup bottles or excess dipping sauces at a fine restaurant. You should be able to eat food as is. There's no point in eating a salad if your going to drown it in ranch dressing. Let Hidden Valley stay hidden.
The Republic of Linda's: GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, DEEP FRIED SORT OF HEALTHY CHICKEN!
Buttermilk alternative:
Equivalent: 1 cup of Buttermilk
Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Lemon juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, or Cream of Tartar
- Plain or Unsweetened Milk Alternative (soy, rice, oat, etc.)
Directions: Add enough of the milk alternative to the juice, vinegar, or cream of tartar to make one cup. Let the solution stand for ten minutes before adding to your recipe.
Pat your chicken breast dry and submerge in the buttermilk. Cover and brine for 24 hours.
Breading Ingredients:
- 1 three pound chicken, cut into parts
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 cup quinoa flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon pimentón dulce (smoked paprika)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
- Several cups of Rice bran oil for frying (you can use olive, peanut, or coconut oil which is highest in saturated fat)
- Light sesame oil
tips:
- Fried chicken should be served warm. It should never be eaten straight from the fryer – it needs time to cool down and set.
- Contrary to popular belief, fried chicken should not be deep fried.
- Fried chicken must be made in a chicken fryer Рa steep-sided frying pan with a domed top. Ed. Note: A deep saut̩ pan or a Dutch oven work just fine, as long as you have a lid.
- It must never be breaded or coated with anything except flour (which can be spiced with salt, pepper and paprika). No egg, no crumbs, no crushed Rice Krispies.
- Chicken pieces should be roughly the same size – this means that you should cut breasts into quarters. If you don’t quarter the breast, you’ll end up with large underdone pieces.
- Put the flour in a deep, wide bowl and season with salt, pepper, and optional smoked paprika and cayenne. Laurie recommends paprika because she adores paprika and feels it gives the chicken a smoky taste and beautiful color.
- Mix the chickpea flour, quinoa flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne in a bowl. Mix well and then sift together to make sure everything is completely distributed.
- Now, coat the chicken with the flour. To do this, lay a few pieces of chicken in the bowl and “pack the flour on a if you were a child making sand pies. Any excess flour should be packed between the layers. It’s important to make sure that every inch of chicken has a nice thick cover.”
- Let the chicken sit while you work with the frying oil. I used rice bran oil with light sesame oil mixed in, and it worked fabulously.
- The oil should come up to just under the halfway mark on your chicken fryer – say, about 1 to 1-1/2 inches deep. Over a medium flame, heat the oil to 360°F (or until a piece of bread on a skewer fries as soon as you dip it on).
- Carefully slip into the oil as many pieces as will fit in the pan. Laurie says that the rule is to crowd the pan a bit. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the pan. She says, “the idea of covering frying chicken makes many people squeal, but it is the only correct method. It gets the chicken cooked through.” Ed. note: don’t mess with your chicken while it’s cooking. Poking and prodding will knock off your coating… so just let it alone!
- The chicken must be just done to that it is crispy but still juicy. She recommends about six minutes per side, turning only once. Dark meat will take a little longer, and use a sharp form to test the chicken to see if it’s done – when the chicken just slips off the fork, it is done inside.
9. Take off the lid and turn up the heat to medium-high. Fry the chicken until it is a dark honey color.
10. Remove the chicken from the oil and set it on a platter, then put the platter in the oven. If your oven has a gas pilot light, that should be enough heat. If you have an electric oven, flip it on ahead of time to the lowest setting and turn it off after two minutes. Let the chicken sit until it has cooled to a warm temperature. 
SiiiI'm not really at the point in my wt loss/athletic training where I can actually eat this. Mainly because it will hinder my overall progress time. But it is something I would eat. And I would even say I'd make it sometime next month on a Sunday in thanksgiving for the upcoming Easter season. For those of you who are just allergic to gluten or looking for a healthier kick. This is a great way to start. Enjoy
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