Silvana’s Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Kitchen – Crispy Fried Chicken

I normally steer clear of gluten-free cookbooks as I find them very intimidating. But, I have always loved Silvana Nardone’s work and her last book, Cooking for Isaiah, was such a delight to cook from, that I knew I had to check out her latest book — Silvana’s Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Kitchen Timeless Favorites Transformed.  

The book has all the elements that I like in a cookbook  — kid-friendly recipes, a very positive and engaging tone, an upbeat and approachable attitude, and, of course – delicious results. My kids loved the crispy fried chicken (recipe below), and the Iced soft oatmeal cookies. On our list to try next are the Rocky Road Brownies and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice-Cream Sandwiches.

BUY NOW — Silvana’s Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Kitchen Timeless Favorites Transformed.  

Crispy Fried Chicken

Excerpted from SILVANA’S GLUTEN-FREE AND DAIRY-FREE KITCHEN © 2014 by Silvana Nardone. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

  photo credit is: ©John Kernick.

Coconut milk is not the first ingredient that comes to mind when marinating chicken for frying. But much like regular buttermilk, it yields meat that’s moist and tender. If you’re not big on coconut-scented chicken, don’t worry, you’ll barely taste it.

No deep-fry thermometer? Test if your oil is hot enough by adding a pinch of gluten-free flour to the oil. If it sizzles and rises to the surface, you’re ready to start frying. The chicken is fully cooked when an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone measures 170°F.

Serves: 4 • Prep Time: 18 minutes (plus marinating) • Cook Time: 20 minutes

1 13-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 3½-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, or 3½ pounds chicken pieces, patted dry
1½ cups My Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (see below)
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon baking powder
Canola oil, for frying

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, Old Bay and baking powder. Drain the chicken and dredge in the flour mixture. Place on the baking sheet.

3. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 1 inch of oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer measures 360?F.

4. Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 20 minutes; drain on a paper towel–lined wire rack. (The fried chicken can be kept warm in a 250?F oven for up to 1 hour or served at room temperature.)

My Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour

Excerpted from SILVANA’S GLUTEN-FREE AND DAIRY-FREE KITCHEN © 2014 by Silvana Nardone. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

It took me months of trial and error to develop this flour blend. Since then, I’ve tested a bunch of store-bought flour mixes, and mine still outperforms them in terms of flavor and texture. Now I’m going to get technical for a minute. When making your own, in my experience, the classic ratio that mimics regular unbleached all-purpose flour is 60 percent grain flour (white rice, brown rice) and 40 percent starch (tapioca flour, potato starch). If you decide to use a gum, which I recommend, since it helps with overall texture, add about ½ teaspoon of xanthan or guar gum per 1 cup flour blend. My flour blend is an old-school mix of white starches, but if you want to add more fiber, replace the 6 cups of white rice flour with half white rice flour and half brown rice flour.

Makes: About 10 cups • Prep Time: 12 minutes

6 cups (870 g) white rice flour
3 cups (375 g) tapioca flour
1½ cups (246 g) potato starch
1 tablespoon (9 g) salt
2 tablespoons (18 g) xanthan gum

In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Transfer to an airtight storage container. (The flour keeps in a cool, dry place or refrigerated for up to 6 months.)

About the Author –

SILVANA NARDONE is the author of Cooking for Isiah: Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy, Delicious Meals. Her blog, Silvana’s Kitchen, offers recipes for feeding family members suffering from food allergies. The founding editor of Every Day with Rachael Ray, she is currently an online food columnist for Food & Wine and a regular contributor to FoodNetwork.com. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her two children, Isaiah, seventeen, and Chiara, eight.