Meat+Poultry - June 2021 - 55

at 250˚F. This fully cooks them and seals in the juices. The
breasts are then chilled until order. "
When the order has been placed, they get fried again.
This time at 350˚F.
" This warms them and makes them crispy, " he said.
Upon removal from the fryer, the breast is dipped in a
vessel of melted beef tallow and sprinkled with the desired
heat level of hand-crafted seasoning.
BREADING VERSUS BATTER
Breadings are all about providing an additional sensory
dimension to meat and poultry products through their
contribution of color, flavor and texture. They are intended
to create a tasty crust, with the degree of crunch and flavor
profile dependent on the breading.
Breading can add flavor
and texture to products,
especially poultry. Chicken
nuggets are the most
common breaded product
on the market and at
foodservice, chicken
sandwiches such as Fry
the Coop's Nashville
fried chicken (right) are
popping up everywhere.
Fontana, owner of Fry the Coop, a Chicago-based counterservice
chain specializing in Nashville fried chicken, shared
how he makes great-tasting, succulent, crunchy, boneless,
skinless chicken.
" It's a two-fry process with an extra dip right before
serving, " Fontana said. " The frying and dipping is with
beef tallow. "
The company sources never-frozen boneless, skinless
chicken breasts from Mar-Jac Poultry, Gainesville, Ga. His
employees hand-trim and cut the chicken, followed by
tenderizing with a hand needler and dry rubbing with a salt,
pepper and a cayenne pepper blend that marinades for about
24 hours.
" We then coat the breasts in buttermilk and bread them
with a seasoned flour mixture. Then they are fried twice, "
he said. " The first time is in the prep. They are blanched
The intent is for the breading to absorb moisture from
the surface of the meat, forming a barrier between the meat
and the heat. This is accomplished by including a hydrophilic
component such as starch. That starch can be something
as simple as plain flour or breadcrumbs, or more complex
like dried, crushed cauliflower with rice flour (for a veggieforward,
gluten-free option).
" When you fry, hot oil tries to get into the protein, while
moisture works to escape. Breading acts as the interface
between that interaction, " said Laura West, marketing and
innovations team, Wynn's Grain & Spice, Montgomery,
Ala. " Breading adds a protective layer keeping the chicken
(or other protein) tender and juicy on the inside and nice
and crispy on the outside. A double breading process,
in particular, yields better coverage, appearance and
hold times. "
Wynn's offers breading designed for both a single-step
breading process, as well as a double-breading process.
Breading can also be formulated differently for a pressure
fryer versus an open fryer.
Breadings are described as dry coatings and are not
to be confused with batters, which are wet coatings. Both
coatings envelop the meat and should stay intact during the
cooking process.
Batters are typically a mixture up to 90% flour and starch,
along with a leavening agent (i.e., sodium bicarbonate,
egg or even seltzer or beer), and water, oil and seasonings.
Wheat flour is standard, with corn, potato, rice and soy
flours becoming increasingly more common, in particular if
gluten free is a desired trait.
Batters are light by design. In order to adhere properly,
they must maintain a proper viscosity and not experience
mechanical shear stress. This can change the viscosity
with ingredients that exhibit shear-thinning, damaging
starch granules and negatively affecting their functionality,
which may lead to breakage of the coating during cooking.
Prior to application, the meat is often dusted with a flourstarch
mixture to assist with adherence. Starch, as an added
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