WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!

You might ask: "You guys know a farmer who produces dope chicken. Why haven't you hooked us up with dope recipes for fried chicken? What the hell is taking so long?"

The time has finally come. Pictured above is Korean Fried Chicken cooked by Christine Liu, a member of Family Dinner and Executive Editor at America's Test Kitchen. Christine hooked us up with an amazing recipe for Korean Fried Chicken and the beautiful picture above. Thanks, Christine! OM NOM NOM.

You might also notice a giant stalk of Brussels Sprouts in this week's share.  The Brussels Sprout is an under-appreciated and often misspelled member of the cabbage family. People in Brussels in the 13th century loved them for their edible buds that look like mini cabbages. They're adorable!

The large majority of US production of this vegetable is in California and over 80% of production goes into the frozen food market. We feel lucky to be able to showcase these beauties that are locally grown for your immediate enjoyment!  If you're feeling adventurous, the stalk can be roasted and eaten as well!


WHAT'S IN THE BAG?

HALF SHARE

Protein and Dairy - Chicken and Eggs from Feather Brook Farms; Maple Greek Yogurt from Brookford Farm
Fruits and Veggies - Certified Organic Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, Parsley and Fennel from Brookford Farm; Apples from Kimball Fruit Farm
Grains - Rosemary Foccacia from Iggy's Bakery 
Special Treat - Mini Pecan Rolls from Iggy's Bakery

WHOLE SHARE

Protein and Dairy - Chicken and Eggs from Feather Brook Farms; Maple Greek Yogurt and Fresh Churned Butter from Brookford Farm; Fresh Caught Atlantic Cod from Jordan Brothers Seafood
Fruits and Veggies - Certified Organic Green Leeks, Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, Parsley and Fennel from Brookford Farm; Apples and Grape Tomatoes( get 'em while they last!) from Kimball Fruit Farm
Grains - Rosemary Foccacia from Iggy's Bakery 
Special Treat -Mini Pecan Rolls from Iggy's Bakery

 

RECIPES

Fried Chicken.
Those might be our two favorite words in the English Language. 

There are many ways to fry chicken, ranging in complexity and flavor profile. We include a few of our favorites below:

Korean Fried Chicken: Awesome video recipe from Christine Liu and the kind folks at America's Test Kitchen. They're celebrating the opening of their new office at ATK Eats, in case you're still searching for something to do this afternoon (Seaport district, ends at 6pm).

Simple Fried Chicken: This recipe from Real Simple calls for buttermilk, which imparts a slightly sour taste that becomes tangy when cooked. If you don't have buttermilk, regular milk is a fine substitute.

Thomas Keller: Culinary God Thomas Keller comes to down to Earth to delight us with glorious recipes such as this one. It is a more complicated preparation, and calls for brining, but it is 100% worth the effort.

Sweet Potato Fries: Here they call for baking the sweet potatoes which is of course the healthy option. But since you already have the oil hot and kickin' for the ATK chicken, you may as well fry them. YUM.

Brussels Sprout Salad: Shaved, raw, Brussels Sprouts. It sounds questionable but cut them thinly, add some shaved cheese (or even a blue!), some nuts and light vinaigrette and you have a delicious salad on your hands. Of course, you could always roast 'em.


TIPS AND TRICKS 

Frying food can be super delicious and it can also be super challenging.  Here are a few tips for getting it right:

1. Oil - We recommend using vegetable oil for it's high smoke point.
2. Temp - Make sure you get your oil up to 350 F. If it's too cold, your food will be greasy and the batter will become soggy from the grease. Most meat thermometers don't go up to 350 F.  We love and recommend this thermometer from Thermpop - it's digital, waterproof and measures up to 572 F.
3. Frying - When you're frying, make sure you carefully place your food into the pot with metal tongs or gently drop the food in, letting it fall away from you. This will help you avoid being splashed by hot oil. Use a splatter guard to be a little more safe and keep your stovetop clean.
4. Cooling - When your food turns deliciously golden brown, remove it from the oil, toss with your favorite sauce or sprinkle with salt, and move it to a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet. This will keep the batter extra crispy while your food cools. Check out Christine's picture above to see how the pros do it.