Vodka Fried Chicken

Is your fried chicken a bit soggy? Is it not even as crisp as Kentucky Fried Budgie? J. Kenji López-Alt, food scientist at Serious Eats, has done some serious research and his solution: Vodka! Isn’t it always?

Vodka helps fried foods become crispier in a couple of ways. Firstly it actively inhibits the production of gluten in batter. When water is added to flour, two wheat flour proteins, gliadin and glutenin, form gluten, which can toughen the dough. However vodka does not hydrate the proteins as water would, so it does not aid in gluten formation, leading to a lighter, crisper result when fried.

During deep frying, liquid in the batter vaporises, which dehydrates the batter and creates bubbles which give it more surface area. Because vodka is more volatile than water, it evaporates much faster, which, it turn, dries out the batter faster. That again creates larger bubbles, therefore a greater surface area, resulting in a much crispier crust.

With most batters, you have to use them very soon or gluten develops, the batter becoming doughier, the longer it sits. With a vodka-based batter, the useful shelf-life is drastically extended.

This is not limited to batter; it applies equally to pastry. According to Scientific American you should be baking with booze too. Just replace half the water in the recipe with vodka for lighter, flakier pastry.

It doesn’t have to be vodka either. You wouldn’t taste the vodka but, if you want to insert a little extra flavour, try tequila, cognac or calvados.

For the brine

2 kg chicken thighs
1 litre buttermilk
40 g salt
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 bunch of fresh thyme
2 tbsp smoked paprika
a pinch of cayenne
20 ml vodka

For the batter

2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
120 g cornstarch
120 g all-purpose flour
250 ml cold water
250 ml cheap but strong vodka (40%+)

Put the chicken in a large zip-lock bag. Dissolve the salt in the buttermilk then add it to the chicken with the rest of the brine ingredients. Refrigerate overnight.

Next day pour the contents of the bag into a pot that fits the chicken with the liquid covering it. Add water if not. Poach on a low heat for about 25-30 minutes. Check with a temperature probe. It must be up to 74°C to be food-safe. Remove the chicken and pat dry.

For the batter combine cornstarch, flour, baking powder and salt and mix thoroughly. Add the water and vodka. Whisk until a smooth batter is formed. Add a splash more water or vodka if too thick.

Dip each thigh in the batter and let the excess drip off. Deep fry in batches at 180°C for about 5 minutes. Remember, the chicken is already cooked. You just need to crisp the coating until it is brown and crunchy. Rest on paper towels. Salt to taste.