Marinating Fried Chicken In Yellow Mustard Has Its Perks (2024)
Jonathan Garcia
·2 min read
Fried chicken needs little introduction. It's one of those perfect foods — great any time of the day and cooked any kind of way. But when you make fried chicken at home, do you ever feel that it's missing something? Yellow mustard might not be the universal ingredient that restaurants use in all their fried chicken recipes, but it is a simple ingredient any home cook can add to get tender meat that's full of flavor.
Mustard is an acidic condiment with a pH of roughly 3.7, making it an ideal addition to any meat marinade. Acid is key to marination because it denatures the proteins in meat which allows seasonings to penetrate and tenderization to occur. As an added bonus, yellow mustard contains a bit of sweetness and spice of its own that works well with common fried chicken seasonings like garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne, and even honey. Incorporating these ingredients into the chicken and letting them sit for at least an hour will yield succulent, flavorful meat covered by a crunchy fried exterior. The yellow mustard marinade also helps in achieving a perfect exterior since it clings to the flour well while the chicken fries. No need to make things messy with egg wash and bread crumbs; mustard and flour should suffice.
Yellow mustard plays a versatile role in fried chicken: It tenderizes, it flavors, and it clings onto flour. And while not everyone might be a fan of this classic hot dog condiment, there are other mustards that can fill its role. For those who find the taste of yellow mustard too one-dimensional, mixing in spicy brown mustard is a good way to add some kick since it's made from mustard seeds with more natural heat. To introduce some textural contrast, you can also try using whole-grain mustard in your marinade instead of yellow. Whole grain mustard uses whole mustard seeds, which not only bring crunch but plenty of rich flavor as well.
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Another easy way to vary mustard-marinated chicken is to forego deep frying for other cooking methods. Deep fat frying isn't everyone's cup of tea, since it's not the healthiest or easiest to clean. Instead, home cooks can skip the flour dredging and bake their meat in the oven instead. For maximum juiciness, try using chicken leg meat instead of chicken breast. Lastly, there's the classic pan fry. For this cooking method, a light dusting of flour will help to develop a nice crust when you saute. An important tip to remember here is to butterfly your chicken pieces first, which will reduce cooking time and mitigate the chance of burning the outside.
Mustard is an acidic condiment with a pH of roughly 3.7, making it an ideal addition to any meat marinade. Acid is key to marination because it denatures the proteins in meat which allows seasonings to penetrate and tenderization to occur.
Mustard is a binder, just like egg, and it will help to hold the breading in place. It also adds a bit of flavor to the meat. Yes, you can use mustard as a substitute for egg when breading meat. Mustard helps the breading adhere to the meat, providing a similar function to eggs in this context.
One reason is that mustard acts like glue to hold the rub on the meat. Another reason is that some people feel it promotes the formation of “bark”, the brown, chewy exterior layer of meat that is so flavorful.
A typical marinade is made up of three essential components: an acid (such as vinegar, wine, or citrus), an oil (such as olive oil or sesame oil), and a flavouring agent (such as herbs and spices). These elements work together to transform the taste and texture of your dish in different ways.
However, mustard is a good sticky substance perfect for holding dry seasonings on meat. Hence, the method of mustard rubbing meat was invented. There are a couple of ways you can do this but the basic idea is the same. A thin layer of mustard on the surface of meats will hold dry rubs in place while the meat is smoked.
I've found that the vinegar component in Dijon mustard is intense enough to work as an excellent marinade for steaks—it tenderizes the proteins, which is great for tougher cuts, and imbues the meat with a nice tanginess.
KFC deep fries its chicken for 15 minutes and then drains the oil off for another five minutes – 20 minutes in total. If you don't have a deep fryer, heat up plenty of oil in a large saucepan and do it that way.
Marinades generally consist of cooking oil, an acidic liquid, such as vinegar, wine, tomato, or citrus juice (or a natural enzyme, such as ginger or pineapple), and flavorings, including garlic, molasses, honey, fresh or dried herbs, and spices.
Don't add too much salt. Too much salt drains moisture from the meat, causing the meat to dry out and preventing flavors from absorbing. Don't re-use marinades or use them as a sauce. Marinades are in contact with raw ingredients; therefore, the marinade could contain harmful bacteria.
A great marinade is carefully balanced and made of three basic components – acid, fat and seasoning. Acids, such as wine, vinegar, citrus juice, buttermilk, and enzyme-rich fruits like papaya or pineapple, work to soften the meat's surface by weakening proteins allowing for slight absorption of flavoring.
Mustard fried is a cooking technique that involves using mustard as a key ingredient in the frying process. The mustard not only adds a unique flavor to the dish but also helps create a crispy and flavorful crust on the food being fried.
An entire bird rubbed in Dijon mustard and sprinkled with dry rub creates a coating that adds tremendous taste to poultry. After a few hours at a low temperature, with moderate smoke — a whole chicken becomes dark matte brown with some of the most tender lightly smoky meat.
It's because you're missing a binder. Try coating the meat in mustard and then sprinkling it with the rub. It doesn't alter the flavor but keeps the rub where its intended to be – flavoring your meat. You can also use an oil with a high smoke point – such as generic vegetable oil.
Use a basting brush to coat each wing with a thin layer of mustard. Pour flour into a plastic bag, add chicken, and shake to coat. Heat oil in a deep fryer or heavy skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cook chicken in hot oil until no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 6 minutes per side.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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