hebel. today · 10 November 202672 / 74
Food · Cooking
Precision frying for a shattery crust
Daniel Bui achieves a craggy, shattery crust on fried chicken by using potato starch, baking powder, and buttermilk to form small clumps in the dredge. A long, gentle buttermilk brine for 12 to 24…
From 1 newsletter · 1 min read · one thing to try
Daniel Bui achieves a craggy, shattery crust on fried chicken by using potato starch, baking powder, and buttermilk to form small clumps in the dredge (Daniel Bui from Daniel's Substack). A long, gentle buttermilk brine for 12 to 24 hours ensures the meat remains juicy, while a probe thermometer next to the bone confirms when the chicken reaches 72°C to prevent overcooking. Placing the finished chicken directly onto a wire rack maintains crispness, as kitchen paper traps steam and causes the bottom of the crust to become soggy within 10 minutes.
Oil temperature acts as an invisible variable that determines the success of the fry. In trials using a probe to monitor oil at 160°C, Bui produced safe, juicy, golden chicken 99.7% of the time, compared to a 39% success rate for those who guessed the temperature. Fixed cooking times often fail because individual thigh sizes vary, making a probe thermometer the most reliable tool for consistent results.
Try today · 45 min
Fry a batch of chicken using a probe thermometer to hit an internal temperature of 72°C.
Set your oil to 160°C and place the chicken on a wire rack immediately after removing it from the oil.
You need
- 1kg chicken legs or thighs
- 568ml buttermilk
- 17g fine sea salt
- Potato starch
- Baking powder
- Probe thermometer
- Wire rack
Steps
- Brine the chicken in buttermilk, salt, and seasonings for 12 to 24 hours.
- Dredge the chicken in a mixture of flour, potato starch, and baking powder.
- Heat oil to 160°C using a clip-on thermometer.
- Fry the chicken until a probe thermometer in the thickest part reaches 72°C.
- Transfer the cooked chicken directly to a wire rack.