Comments on: Ad Hoc Buttermilk Fried Chicken

By: Adina

Adina — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:12:23 +0000

Cook’s Illustrated also has a really fast method for making drop biscuits–you melt butter, stir it into cold buttermilk to get little chilled butter bits, and then dump that into the dry ingredients. It produces very good biscuits, too.

By: David

David — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:47:23 +0000

The KitchenAid is the way to go, it’s a real workhorse.

By: Karl R. Wurst

Karl R. Wurst — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:29:20 +0000

That’s how I’ve been making scones and biscuits for a while. Now I need a larger food processor. I’m just about ready to break down and a buy a 12-cup KitchenAid to go with my beloved mixer.

By: David

David — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:37:12 +0000

I don’t think Keller could pull together a five-course meal in an hour.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:50:18 +0000

That’s the Cooks Illustrated method as well, which I use for pie crusts when I can’t get away with a graham cracker version.
Kimball and Keller. That would make an interesting Iron Chef competition. The scientist vs the alchemist.

By: She Who Must Be Obeyed

She Who Must Be Obeyed — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:45:05 +0000

What was so interesting about the biscuit recipe is that I usually cut the butter into the flour by hand for most recipes – it was so fast using the food processor it almost felt as if I was cheating. They are tender, delicious and great rewarmed!

By: David

David — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:26:09 +0000

Abbreviated recipe, because you’re a cook:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, line baking sheet with parchment.

Pulse together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups cake flour, 4 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon baking soda in a food processor. Add 2 sticks chilled butter and pulse until butter chunks are pea-sized. Dough should not come together.

Transfer dough to large bowl, make well in center, add 1.5 cups buttermilk, gently work flour into buttermilk. Turn out dough onto floured work surface, pat into 3/4 inch thick rectangle. Cut out biscuits with 2.5 inch cutter, push trimmings together once to get a few more biscuits out of the dough.

Brush tops with buttermilk, bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating pan once at halfway mark. Brush tops with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.

Devour.

By: David

David — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:17:54 +0000

You have to show up to get a biscuit, and you need to show up with advance notice.

As for Alton, I’m surprised: he’s nothing like the gangly long-haired prettyboys you usually prefer.

By: Sorcyress

Sorcyress — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:40:52 +0000

I will bow to the awesomeness of She Who Must Be Obeyed when I get a delicious biscuit.

Also, and unrelatedly, I appear to have spontaneously developed a crush on Alton Brown. I am holding you responsible for any and all swooning and/or forgetting how to think that occurs when he appears on a television I am watching.

~Kat

By: Andrea

Andrea — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:30:50 +0000

How about the recipe for the Ad Hoc biscuits, unless Keller requires that you churn your own butter (but then I wouldn’t need to buy buttermilk, right?) I’d like to make them for He Who Never Cooks But Eats.