DRUMSTICK BROAST 

(20.8.2017)

What Is Broasting?

Broasting is a well-known method used by restaurants and eateries to prepare crispy fried chicken. However, contrary to popular belief, broasting is not a word coined from the terms broiled and roasted. Rather, broasting is a cooking technique that relies on pressure frying; producing chicken that contains fewer calories and one that is moist yet crispy on the outside.

Broasting, a term acquired from Broaster is actually a company established in 1954 in a little town in Wisconsin, the USA,  known as Beloit. Today, Beloit is actually known as the home of broasted chicken.

L.A.M. Phelan invented the broasting technique in 1952. He had been in search of a frying technique that would allow him to prepare fried chicken quickly. However, unable to find a frying technique that could work efficiently while producing a high-quality product, Phelan set about to create his own technique.

After months of research, Phelan eventually settled for the technique; combining the components of a  and a deep fryer. Not only did this frying technique allow him to produce fried chicken quickly, but the results were also outstanding. A year after L.A.M. Phelan unveiled his groundbreaking deep-frying technique, which resulted in the creation of the Broaster Company.

Broasted chicken is prepared when it is deep-fried under pressure. However, to completely broaster the chicken, deep-fry it in a broaster, as well as incorporate the secret blend of spices and marinade that accompanied the invention.  But before frying, marinate and dust it in a special mix of herbs and spices that have remained relatively the same since Phelan introduced his invention and cooking technique.

Broasted chicken is typically soft and moist on the inside and golden and crispy on the outside; something that is hard to achieve with regular air fryers or deep fryers. Broasters are not sold for home use. As such, if you want to enjoy genuine broasted chicken, you have to go to a restaurant that specializes in cooking broasted chicken.

Even to this day, Beloit is still producing Broaster pressure fryers. The core of the Broaster Pressure Fryer is its cylindrical pot. The cylindrical shape does a better job, compared to deep fryers, of heating the pot and the oil evenly to produce crispy deep-fried chicken. The largest commercial Broaster has the ability to produce about 22 pounds of chicken in a short ten minutes! Because the chicken cooks quickly, the process loses only a little amount of moisture while reducing the amount of oil absorbed by the chicken.

Now, if you ask me a question that what’s the difference between broasted chicken and KFC chicken?, the reply is that the Broaster came before KFC- as a matter of fact, the very 1^st patent ever recorded for a commercial pressure fryer. When Phelan was creating his commercial Broaster, The Colonel had not yet adapted his pressure, Fryer. The KFC Pressure Fryer came later on but both cooking techniques generally rely on pressure frying.

As we are going to prepare the Drumstick Broast without having a Pressure Fryer and have to rely on conventional deep frying in a wok, and also to rely on our own ability to produce the result as close as possible to the mechanized production at the Restaurants and franchise outlets, it may be a little different in texture and shape but I am sure the taste will be very very close to the restaurant quality. 

Remember we are not making KFC fried chicken, which has something different in appearance. So please don't judge this broast with what we get from the counter of that well-known outlet. Let us start to prepare our homemade broast with the name of ALLAH.

 

 EQUATION:

1. Resting in Vinegar and Salt                  20-25 minutes
2. Marination and resting                          2 to 4 hours
3. Frying                                                    15-20 minutes
4. Yield                                                      12-14 Drumsticks
5. Expenses                                              Rupees 650 (about 3 and half US Dollars)

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED:

1.  1 Kg Chicken Drum Sticks

FOR MARINATION:

1.  1/4 Cup White Vinegar
2.  2 Tablespoons Chicken Powder
3.  1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
4.  2 Tablespoons Mustard Paste
5.  4 Tablespoons Chilli Sauce
6.  1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
7.  Salt to Taste

FOR COATING:

1.  2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2.  1 Cup Rice Flour
3.  1 Cup Corn Flour
4.  1 Teaspoon Galic Powder 
5.  1 Teaspoon White Pepper
6.  Salt to taste

 

  METHOD:

• Before marinating the Drumsticks, put enough Vinegar in a bowl so that the drumsticks submerge in it, also put some sea salt and rest the meat for about 20-25 minutes. This process will discard any trace of blood in the Drumsticks which normally remains flued to the meat.
• Have some deep cuts on the Drumsticks so that the marination can make its way into the depths of the meat for more taste.
• In a bowl mix together all ingredients of marination and put in the Drumsticks in this batter for a few hours so that the flavor and taste of the spices could penetrate into the meat.
• Beat eggs in a wide bowl, mix in some milk, set aside.
• Mix Flour, corn Flour, and Rice flour in a wide and open platter type utensil, along with white pepper, salt and if you like, some black pepper powder as well.
• Heat oil in a wide wok, when it is fully hot, lower the heat to some extent.
• Now take a Drumstick and coat it thoroughly in the flour mixture, 
• When all the drumsticks are coated, take one stick and dip it into the plain water and then coat it into the same flour mixture and then again in the flour mixture and let it rest, do the same with all the drum sticks and let them rest at least for 15-20 minutes.
• Keep the drumsticks covered in the flour mixture all the time before frying.
• Start putting the Drumsticks in the hot oil, fry them for a few minutes and then turn the sides.
• Lower the heat from high and put the lid on the wok, let all drumsticks be golden & crispy.
• Check with a sharp knife the meaty part of the Drumstick to see if the meat is perfectly cooked and soft from inside.
• Place some absorbent kitchen towels on a tray or platter and put the drumsticks on them so that the excess oil is drenched.
• Garnish the platter with green vegetables, i.e Cucumber, green chilies, and coriander leaves.

 

How was this experience? hopefully, a bit exciting and rewarding as well because of words of praise at the dining table from all who have tasted your effort of homemade Drumstick Broast and the fear of failure in preparing a well-marketed dish in your home Kitchen must have evaporated now.

In my dictionary, the word of failure is missing, we've become prisoners of our own so-called myths and thoughts of what people say if the dish we are making may not get such a result as is available in the restaurants. Please leave all these fears away from your conscience and JUST DO IT. Heaven will not fail if our cooking or baking fell short of the standards set by the professionals and the establishments who are running their businesses on the pillars of experienced hands and expenses of millions of dollars.

Remember, we at home are not experts or professionals, and we don't possess the state of the art paraphernalia. The failure will push us to DO MORE and DO AGAIN., so just leave aside this FEAR OF FAILURE and do what you can do, no herculean effort and no professional attitude, only a humble effort.

Important Note:

Picture No. 1,2,3,4, and 8 are taken from Google images as the pictures I took got deleted by error. I regret that they are not mine and also apologize for copying them from the Internet.

 

thanks,

thine eternally,                    

 

NOVICE

Karachi, August the 26th, 2017.