Given the choice between the following coatings and batters, which will give the crispiest, longest lasting crispy coating on deep-fried chicken breast pieces? The chicken will be fried once in an electric fryer for 4 minutes at 185C and will be in uniform, bite size pieces. The chicken will be seasoned, the dredges and batters will not.
(If there are any additives or combinations I have missed, please let me know. These are the most common flour-based coatings I know of. I have left breadcrumbs off the list as this requires a different coating technique to adhere to chicken properly (egg wash) from dredging alone.)
Key: [D] = Dredge, left to air dry for 15 minutes before frying [B] = Batter, thick enough to coat and adhere to the chicken
- Plain all purpose flour [D]
- Plain all purpose flour + water [B]
- Plain all purpose flour + alcohol (Beer, Vodka etc) [B]
- Plain all purpose flour + beaten egg + water [B]
- Self raising flour [D]
- Self raising flour + water [B]
- Self raising flour + alcohol (Beer, Vodka etc) [B]
- Self raising flour + beaten egg + water [B]
- Cornflour [D]
- Potato starch [D]
- Rice flour [D]
- 50:50 mix Plain all purpose flour + Cornflour [D]
- 50:50 mix Plain all purpose flour + Potato starch [D]
- 50:50 mix Plain all purpose flour + Rice flour [D]