American fried chicken is almost always covered in batter or another dry coating. Elsewhere, however, chicken is often fried after a brief marinade in a sauce; the results are not as crunchy but really different and quite delicious. (Plus, fried chicken without batter keeps better.) If you want a supercrunchy fried chicken, see the previous recipe. The marinade for this Cuban version traditionally contains sour orange juice, but a mixture of orange and lime juice is a good substitute. Serve this with Arroz a la Mexicana (page 517)
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large dish, then add the chicken and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade.
Step 2
Heat 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat in a large deep skillet or wide saucepan with a lid. When the oil reaches 350°—use an instant-read thermometer or a pinch of flour or cornmeal, which will sizzle at the right temperature—raise the heat to high and begin to add the chicken pieces slowly but steadily, skin side down (if you add them all at once, the temperature will plummet). When they have all been added, cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-high, and set a timer for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, uncover the skillet, turn the chicken, and continue to cook, uncovered, for another 7 minutes. Turn the chicken skin side down again and cook for about 5 minutes more, turning as necessary to ensure that both sides are golden brown.
Step 3
As the chicken pieces finish cooking (the juices near the bone will run clear), remove them from the skillet and drain them on paper towels. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
