Why do chicken wings turn chewy if cooled between cookings?
I prepared some chicken wings by:
- Place chicken wings, raw, in cool oil.
- Heat corn oil to ~180°F, hold at ~180°F for 3 hours (in the oven).
- Heat peanut oil in deep fryer to 370°F (as high as the deep fryer goes). Time such that deep fryer is heated by the end of the 3 hours.
- Drain now-cooked chicken wings
- Deep fry (while still hot) for 4 minutes, flipping half way through.
These came out good. While somewhat dry (but not overly so), they had very tender fall-off-the-bone meat and crunchy skin.
However, for a few of them, I inserted a step 4(b), put in plastic bag and chill in ice bath. I then deep fried them for an extra two minutes. They weren't quite as browned, but more importantly they could have been passed off as chewing gum.
Why did cooling the chicken wings turn them to chewing gum? Is there any way to avoid this (other than not cooling them, of course). It'd be nice to be able to do the time-consuming part in advance.
Best Answer
Your temperature is too high. Go for 78ºC (172F) instead of 82ºC. 3 hours seems a long time for chicken wings. Get a thermometer and take it out when it reaches 78ºC. After cooling, before frying, do you dry the wings? That could be an important step.
Lastly, instead of frying them as is, try panning them with flour or breadcrumbs.
If you're going to fry immediately, aim for 75ºC instead.
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Quick Answer about "Why do chicken wings turn chewy if cooled between cookings?"
Your temperature is too high. Go for 78ºC (172F) instead of 82ºC. 3 hours seems a long time for chicken wings. Get a thermometer and take it out when it reaches 78ºC.Why are my chicken wings chewy?
Wings have a higher ratio of skin to meat than almost any other cut of chicken, which is what makes them so appealing. In order to crisp the skin, you need to render out most of the fat that comes with it, otherwise you'll get chewy wings instead of crunchy ones.Should chicken wings come to room temperature before cooking?
As with all meat, be sure to leave the wings out at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking. Cold wings will drastically reduce the temperature of the oil. And cool oil doesn't crisp well.Why is my fried chicken skin chewy?
Chicken breast contains little fat, and thus if cooked, it dries pretty easily and dry meat + heat = chewy. If you insist on the chicken breast, you can try poaching it in for example chicken stock, first, before cooking it on a pan.How do you not overcook chicken wings?
Toss the wings in a few tablespoons of neutral cooking oil (like canola or vegetable oil), then season with salt and pepper before adding them to the grill. The oil will prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill. MISTAKE: Yikes, my wings burnt to a crisp!Tasty Cook-Off: Fried Chicken
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