Recipe from Michael W. Twitty
Adapted by Kayla Stewart
- Total Time
- 2 hours, plus chilling and resting
- Rating
- 4(67)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Michael W. Twitty’s use of matzo meal to coat his fried chicken is an ode to the innovative Black women of the American South, including his own ancestors. Marrying the traditions of Black southern cooking with Southern Ashkenazi Jewish culinary ones, Black women in cities like Savannah, Ga., Charleston, S.C., New Orleans and Nashville preserved their African heritage and local Jewish customs through this fried chicken. The fragrant spice mixture is enough to gather droves of people around the table, and the dish’s Southern charm is evident with the first crispy, tender and juicy bite. —Kayla Stewart
Featured in: ‘Blackness Deserves a Seat at the Seder’
Learn: How to Make Fried Chicken
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 2teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1teaspoon paprika
- ¼teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼teaspoon ground cloves
- 2whole kosher chickens, preferably fryers (3 to 3½ pounds each)
- 4large eggs
- 2cups matzo meal
- Neutral oil, for frying (see Tip)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
1176 calories; 102 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 55 grams monounsaturated fat; 26 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 51 grams protein; 447 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Combine the salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, paprika, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves in a bowl.
Step
2
Rinse chickens and pat dry. Cut each into pieces: breasts, wings, drumsticks and thighs. If the breast halves are very large, cut them in half crosswise. Season the chicken all over with the spice mixture, cover and refrigerate for a few hours.
Step
3
Beat the eggs with a fork in a shallow dish, then mix in 2 tablespoons water. Place matzo meal in another dish. Set up two racks over two large baking sheets lined with paper towels. Dip each chicken piece in the eggs to thoroughly coat, then in the matzo meal. Set on the racks, arranging breasts, wings, legs and thighs together. Let sit for about 15 minutes at room temperature so the coating can set.
Step
4
Meanwhile, add oil to a depth of 1¼ inches in a large, deep frying pan or Dutch oven and heat over medium to about 325 degrees. Working in batches by chicken parts and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a steady sizzle, fry the breasts then the dark meat until browned all around and 165 degrees or higher for white meat and 175 degrees for dark meat, 7 to 8 minutes per side. If needed, continue cooking pieces to brown evenly or cook through, about 4 minutes. Use your best judgment (and a meat thermometer): Crispy and golden brown on the outside doesn’t necessarily mean done on the inside.
Step
5
Line large platters with paper towels. As the chicken pieces finish cooking, remove them with tongs and place them on the platters to drain. Sprinkle with salt, if you’d like, and serve hot or warm.
Tip
- If needed or desired, use oil that is kosher for Passover. If following Sephardic kosher for passover guidelines, use corn or peanut oil.
Ratings
4
out of 5
67
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Cooking Notes
Dee
People, it’s Fried Chicken. Fry it.
Jessica
Wonderful recipe! Thinking about using matzo meal for all future fried chicken recipes. We used about 3.5 lbs of dark meat but the full spice amount, including some in the matzo meal. Chose sunflower oil for frying. We drove to a seder 30 miles away & reheated everything at 400F - still tender, crispy, & delicious. Saved for future Shabbat meals!
Ferguson
I made a half batch. It was yummy and worth the effort of frying and cleaning up. Wonderful crunch and juicy insides. I reheated the leftovers the next day in the oven at 400. Perfect recipe.
Anita
I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and cut them to finger-food size. Also added extra spice mix to the matzo meal. They were delicious, even more so when lightly drizzled with honey.
Matt Share
Ms. Stewart, the Jews of the American South (while of course varied in their backgrounds) are historically Sephardic, not Ashkenazi. Later Ashkenazi immigrants now outnumber those families, but they arrived into a Southern-Sephardic culture. All of this is to say that cultural exchange between Southern Jews during the Antebellum period or early Reconstruction was generally an exchange with Sephardic tradition. The particular spices in this recipe suggest it belongs to that tradition.
Steve
Went for an oven fried version with the help of the NYT Lindy Boggs chicken recipe. Started with the spice/herb mix in Step 1 (combined marjoram, rosemary, sage and thyme instead of using prepared poultry seasoning), used boneless chicken breast at Step 2, and shifted to the Lindy Boggs recipe after Step 3 (replaced butter with olive oil), cooked for around 25 minutes (to an internal temperature of 150 degrees). It was super.
Ferguson
I made a half batch. It was yummy and worth the effort of frying and cleaning up. Wonderful crunch and juicy insides. I reheated the leftovers the next day in the oven at 400. Perfect recipe.
Jessica
Wonderful recipe! Thinking about using matzo meal for all future fried chicken recipes. We used about 3.5 lbs of dark meat but the full spice amount, including some in the matzo meal. Chose sunflower oil for frying. We drove to a seder 30 miles away & reheated everything at 400F - still tender, crispy, & delicious. Saved for future Shabbat meals!
Alex Navarro-McKay
Made as directed. Excellent. I will be repeating this.
linda gass
Can this chicken be baked instead of fried?
Dee
People, it’s Fried Chicken. Fry it.
brg
I'd really appreciate alternative instructions (temperature & cooking time) for air-frying the chicken.
Euphemia Thompson
then experiment. best way to learn.
JCW
Could 1 make this healthier through an air-fryer version? Also, the FDA warns AGAINST ever washing chicken. Doing so is a great way to spread pathogens.
LindaSutton
I'd like to see a BAKE it alternative to deep frying. Also, any adjustments if using an air fryer.
Emily
I would bake this in the oven instead of frying. It should be delicious and a lot healthier.
Wendie S-M
Can this yummy crunchy chicken dish be baked/roasted in the oven and if so, at what temperature and for how long? I prefer not to fry in oil, healthier in the oven. Thanks.
KDA
It seems odd that you would not add more of the seasoning to the matzo meal.
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