Review: Fried Chicken by Rebecca Lang!

Title: Fried Chicken: 50 Recipes for the Crispy, Crunchy, Comfort-Food Classic
Author: Rebecca Lang
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: June 16th 2015
Source: Ten Speed Press

Description:

A fun and playful cookbook featuring more than 50 family-friendly fried chicken recipes--including classic Southern, globally influenced, and skillet- and deep-fried variations.

Fried chicken is comfort food at its finest. Served alongside a biscuit, atop waffles, or just on its own, fried chicken is one of the most universally loved foods around. In Fried Chicken, Southern chef Rebecca Lang collects 50 of the most tantalizing, crowd-pleasing variations on the classic. There are perennial favorites like Buttermilk-Soaked, Bacon-Fried Chicken Smothered in Gravy; Tennessee Hot Chicken; kid-friendly Chicken Fingers; and even Gluten-Free Southern Fried Chicken. Also featured are internationally inspired recipes, such as Saigon Street Wings, Chinese Lollipop Wings, Mexican-Lime Fried Chicken Tacos, and Korean Fried Chicken with Gochujang Sauce. All of these recipes are impeccably tested, foolproof, and will have the whole family singing the praises of perfectly fried poultry.

★★★★★

Review:

One of my absolute favorite things to eat is fried chicken. I grew up on it, since I'm not overtly fond of beef and it's something that I could pretty much eat every day without getting sick of it. When I found this book, a cookbook dedicated to just fried chicken, I knew I had to read it. I was definitely not disappointed!

This book is separated into chapters in order of cooking technique, which I think is a pretty effective way of doing so. It makes it easy to find the right recipe for your mood depending on what you want to cook at that moment. These pages are jam packed full of tips which I found extremely useful; as much as I love fried chicken, I very rarely make it for myself so I can use all the help and hints that I can get. The beginning of this cookbook has a really nice introduction that includes how to cook, clean, and cut chickens, complete with step by step pictures.

Speaking of pictures, the photography for Fried Chicken is simply awesome. I had to have chicken the day I got this, because the pictures definitely make you crave the salty, crunchy deliciousness that is fried chicken. There are a lot of pictures in this book, which is really helpful and important to me because I like knowing how my final product should look.

There's also a really wide variety included here. Initially, I did wonder how a book dedicated to one classic dish would be, variety wise. But rest assured, this book includes recipes from all over the United States, and all over the world too. There's something here for everyone (everyone who eats meat, that is), from those who want an untouched classic chicken, to those who want plenty of spice or bold flavors. Lang has got you covered! There are also recipes included for different flour blends, sauces, and breads so that your meal can be completely made from scratch, which I find pretty nifty.

Honestly, I would make all of the recipes in this book, but I will highlight a few of the best sounding ones. The ones that I'm most eager to try include West African Fried Chicken with Sautéed Onions and Peppers, Fried Chicken Skins with Lime Mustard Drizzle, and Chicken Kara-Age.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves fried chicken, be you a beginner or a master cook. This to me conjured up images of summer picnics and cookouts, so for me this is a must-buy before the 4th of July, no rhyme intended.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.