This is no Jollibee or KFC. But in some hidden corner of my mind, I remember my grandmother putting vinegar to chicken before frying them when I was a kid. I asked some elderly Filipino friends as well and they affirmed that this is pretty common. Vinegar and garlic add a Filipino twist to fried chicken.
Actually, it makes a lot of sense. We are all used to dipping anything fried to vinegar with garlic; be it fish, chicken, chicharon, and many more. So why not make it a part of the main dish, rather than just a condiment.
I went home one night, tired from work, I was craving for fried chicken and I was lazy to go drive to KFC. I opened the freezer and voila, I had some drumstick. My only option was to make my own fried chicken. You bet I’ll make it Pinoy-style.
All you need is:
- 4 chicken drumstick, thawed
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Garlic powder (or fresh minced garlic)
- 2 eggs
- Bread crumbs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
How?
Put the vinegar on chicken, prick the meat in several areas with a fork or knife. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes. If you have more time, let it soak longer. Put oil in a deep medium sauce pan on medium heat. Remove chicken from remaining liquid and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder and pepper, generously. If you use fresh garlic, mix it vinegar when marinating the chicken. Dip chicken in beaten egg and then coat with bread crumbs. Make an assembly line so it won’t get messy.
When oil is searing hot, drop the chicken, 2 at a time and fry till golden brown. Flip to fry all sides.
If your chicken is too thick or the meat does not come to room temperature, the inside of the drumstick might still need more cooking. If you have oven at home, continue cooking the drumstick for 15 minutes at 350F. If none, lower the heat in your stove to fry the meat longer without burning the outside of your chicken.
