Crispy chicken skin

corblimey

Any tips on how to get nice crispy chicken skin at home? I'm doing some chicken drumsticks this afternoon, and would like them all kfc'd up (although in a nice way). However, I do not want to deep fry the portions (mostly cos I can't), so is it possible using a mixture of shallow frying and roasting? Also, any tips on flavourful herbs and spices to use?

Mr Magnolia

Into an oven at 220degreesC for 30/35 miinutes is what I do, keep an eye on them. You could start them on the BBQ if the weather holds up either.

I would have marinated them over night but if you do them this morning they'd be good this afternoon. I use a Thai type marinade:

2 Chillies chopped
4 Cloves Garlic chopped
3cm Ginger chopped
4 limes Juiced
2tblsp fish sauce
1 tblspn soya sauce
1 tblsp brown sugar
Bunch fresh coriander

Blitz all in a blender and marinate for a few hours, overnight if possible.

corblimey

That sounds well nice, but I had about a third of the ingredients in my cupboard, so it was out for today. Sadly, the weather didn't hold up enough for a bbq (the whole point of having drumsticks, really, I went a bit mad with the bbq food yesterday), so I ended up keeping it simple, some 5-spice, flour and lemon and banged it all in a hot oven as you said. Not as crunchy as I would've liked, so I'll try your marinate next time.

breakfast roll

ive found that by frying the chicken skin side down first and then banging it into the oven often results in yummy crispy skin

Mr Magnolia

If they're over-crowded they won't crisp up as much so use a couple of trays of you're doing a large amount.

Swampy

You can buy a pack of chicken coating in the Asian Market in Drury St. It's a White pack. I forget the name. Think it's mc donals or something. They do a crispy, and a crispy spicy. Calls for shallow frying. Tastes very very close to kfc. Comes in a similar pack to a sachet of soup/sauce.

Deise Musashi

Pour some boiling water over the raw chicken before roasting.

How I do my roast chicken and it's good! You could also oil (or butter) the drumsticks after the bath and crumble some chicken stock cube over them or rub in a little ground sea salt.

Slash the thickest part of the drumstick a couple times to let the heat in and the meat dries a little at the edges of the cuts making nice chewy bits!

Got lots of Drumsticks and lost the barbecue weather? I like the chicken, rice and peas recipe Marco Pierre White gives on the Knorr website.

http://www.knorr.co.uk/recipe/recipe_display.aspx?id=49

Or you could do a version of Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk and Lemon, sounds rank, looks gone off, tastes very nice indeed!

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/chicken-in-milk

Mmm Chicken, the other white meat!

duploelabs

as above but also give the skin a light dusting of corn flour to give it a real kfc edge

Sigma Force

I get the chicken drumsticks or wings etc. in Dunnes very cheap free range chicken 2.99 sometimes you get 50% extra free.

I sometimes add lots of various spices/herbs but nothing's nicer than salty crispy chicken.

The thing that actually crisps chicken or spud skins etc. up is just oil and salt the oil burns on to it and the salt draws the moisture out (don't use this combonation if sunbathing, ouch).

I rub garlic oil, salt and fresh ground pepper on it and pop it into the oven I cover it sometimes with tin foil for about 20 mins just to make sure it's heating up but not cooking the skin too quick. Then I take the foil off and cook it for another 30 mins or 40 mins depending how crispy I want it.
The skin is lovely and crispy and the meat is really tender because it's sitting in it's own juices.

If I want a burnt skin on it I add honey.

Tomatoe ketchup is nice to marinade it in too, or lemon and thyme or sage. Anything really chicken is so forgiving.

dubh101

for a good and simple kfc style coating,into self raising flour(enough for the amount of chicken you want too coat) add salt plenty off black pepper,cajun spice mix(plenty)dried oregano.Mix well together.Dredge the chicken pieces in this mix,then into egg wash and back into flour mix,shallow fry first,then finish off in a pre heated oven at about 170c.Works for me.:)

lemeister

Some great recipes on http://www.southernfriedchickenrecipe.com/. I normally do something very similar to dubh101 in that after coating the chicken pieces, I fry them in a wok with about a 1/2 inch of oil for a few minutes and then onto a rack in the oven (not a baking tray as the juices from the chicken will prevent the underside of the chicken staying crispy)

tinkeria

for getting more crispy chicken skin... I have a crispy chicken recipe tips...are...For super crispy fried chicken, use half flour and half cornstarch, with your usual seasonings and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and a dry crispy coating, fry until browned, then finish cooking in a 350° oven.

olaola

I've seen this, but never tried it : http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/buttermilkchickendru_87107