Recipes

Chicken Fried Chicken

By Kurt Fogle and Joe McCormick
 

There is no chicken fried chicken without – says Kurt Fogle – his business partner/chef in Dairyland, Joe McCormick. Just as there is no Kentucky Derby pie without his partner in business and life, Katie Fogle. As origin stories go, the tale of the chicken started in 1997, when 15-year-old Kurt wasn’t loving what his mom put down on the kitchen table, so he took matters into his own hands. He tasted his first McChicken, thanks to his grandma and his world would never be the same. Then he experienced Chick-fil-A, which, on the other hand, “came from another planet,” he says. “That’s where the fascination started.” So there’s Kurt, working on his chicken game, something he would spend years mastering. But by 2012 or so, he’s got a partner in crime – Joe McCormick. They get to know each other as workmates at Milwaukee’s SURG Restaurant Group (Kurt as a pastry chef, McCormick as an executive chef and later McCormick would come to work at Bass Bay Brewhouse, which Kurt then co-owned. “We said, ‘Hey, let’s figure this out,’” recalls Kurt. McCormick added his advice on the spices, but Kurt says it wasn’t that simple. “We did a zillion test [batches].” Chicken-fried chicken became the “No. 1 dish at Bass Bay for a reason,” says Kurt. “Joe’s the secret weapon.”

 

Mastering the chicken was only one facet. Joe says to him, “What else do you need? I said ‘gravy.’ The gravy [Joe made] was like Kentucky Fried Chicken.” Say no more. Then there are the sides. Of the mashed potatoes, Kurt tells McCormick to “just make them as good as you can imagine.” That statement pretty much sums up the philosophy of these chefs with any recipe they approach. “Everything is classically, precisely calculated. You could pick any dish – chicken fried chicken or cheeseburger – and the story would be the same.” And there you have it. And now you have chicken-fried chicken and its steadfast companions – and yes, “chicken milk” – too.

Ingredients

Serves 1 Dish

Beef Stock from Base

75 grams Better than Bouillon, Beef

1,325 grams Water

 

Black Pepper Gravy

112.5 grams butter

112.5 grams of bread flour

1,400 grams of rich beef stock

1.5 grams of black pepper

0.2 grams of fresh thyme

1.5 grams garlic cloves, minced

5 grams apple cider vinegar

 

Chicken Milk 

500 grams of whole milk

500 grams buttermilk

200 grams Frank’s Red Hot sauce

200 grams whole eggs 

 

Chicken Breading

700 grams of all-purpose flour

60 grams of nonfat milk powder

20 grams of baking powder

72 grams chicken spice mixture (see recipe below)

36 grams of sea salt

36 grams sucrose

 

Chicken Spice

25 grams paprika

64 grams of black pepper

25 grams of monosodium glutamate

7 grams of garlic powder

7 grams onion powder

1/2 gram ground clove

3 grams of ground celery seed

 

Green Beans

454 grams of green beans

20 grams butter

5 grams of sea salt

2 1/2 grams black pepper

 

Mashed Potatoes

1,365 grams of russet potatoes

30 grams garlic cloves (optional)

55 grams of kosher salt

7 grams white pepper

165 grams butter

205 grams of heavy cream

 

Instructions

Beef Gravy

Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan on low heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook for two minutes minimum and feel free to cook the roux to a deep, golden color. Whisk in the black pepper, thyme and garlic. Whisk in the beef stock one ladle at a time, or in four parts. The goal is to hydrate the roux with the first addition of stock, and then to thin the gravy out in stages. (This reduces the risk of roux lumps.) Bring to a gentle simmer while whisking constantly to prevent scorching. Allow the gravy to mature on the stovetop for one hour, if possible. You can also make the gravy a couple of days ahead of time. If you want it smooth as silk, hit it with an immersion blender right before you serve it.

 

Chicken Milk

Blend the ingredients with an immersion blender until well combined.

 

Chicken Breading

Place the ingredients in a large bowl, and mix to combine.

 

Preheat a neutral oil, like canola or avocado, in a frying pan. Heat the oil on medium heat while setting up your breading station. The frying temperature should be 325 degrees.

 

To set up your breading station, place the chicken milk and chicken breading side by side in shallow and wide containers. Dip the chicken breasts in the chicken milk until completely coated. Next, dip the chicken in the chicken breading. Cover and press each chicken breast in the breading to ensure an even, crispy breading.

 

Once the oil is heated, add the chicken breasts to the frying pan and cook until the bottom breading is golden about five to six minutes.

 

Flip and repeat on the other side. The chicken is cooked when the center reaches 165 degrees. Set the chicken aside to rest before slicing.

 

Chicken Spice

Measure the ingredients into a small bowl and mix to combine.

 

Green Beans

Wash and trim the ends of the green beans. Leave them whole or cut them into smaller pieces. Place the steamer basket in a saucepan with a lid. Add 2 inches of water and the green beans to the basket and cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for five to seven minutes until the crispness of the green beans meets your preference. Once the beans are cooked, discard the basket and water. Add the green beans and butter to a saucepan and heat until combined. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

 

Mashed Potatoes

Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut into 1-inch cubes. And if gummy potatoes aren’t your thing, rinse the potatoes until the water runs clear.

 

Place the potatoes in a large pot, add the garlic cloves and cover with salted water. If you miss this target, you can correct the seasoning later on, but the salt plays an important role in the cooking of the potatoes. Salting the water also increases the boiling point of the water, which allows the potatoes’ starch to further gelatinize. Summary: Properly salted water gives you creamier potatoes.

 

Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are very tender. Drain the potatoes and process them in a food mill, or mix them with a hand mixer or potato masher. Add room-temperature butter and fold until it’s fully incorporated. Heat the cream until it almost boils and add it in four equal parts, folding over while aggressively stirring. Season the potatoes the way you like them best. If you’re unsure, trust us, we will get you close enough. Remember that you can always add more, but it’s hard to take it out once it’s in.

Bio

Kurt Fogle started his career three blocks from his home in 1997 at O&H Danish Bakery, where he cooked, washed dishes and baked throughout high school. That led to having early success with Rocky Rococo right out of high school. After a couple of years of pizzas, Kurt moved to Chicago to dig deeper into his culinary education, finding Jacquy Pfeiffer and his French Pastry School. Kurt spent the next two years preparing for the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, an intense and critical examination for French master craftsmen. Upon completion of the MOF, he moved back to Milwaukee, and in 2007, he became the pastry chef for the Intercontinental Hotel. From there, he went to the Pfister Hotel and, ultimately, to the SURG Restaurant Group. In 2014, Kurt became an instructor in the Baking and Pastry Arts Department at Milwaukee Area Technical College, where he teaches artisanal breadmaking, restaurant desserts, and ingredient functions. In 2020, Kurt opened Dairyland with his best friends, his wife and his family. They make hamburgers and frozen custard from scratch daily at 3rd Street Market Hall.

Kurt Fogle

Dairyland and Mid-Way Bakery

Kurt Fogle

Dairyland and Mid-Way Bakery

About Dairyland and Mid-Way Bakery
 

Discover More!

Craving more delicious options to elevate your next gathering? Select from our Entrees below to discover new favorites and take your culinary experience to the next level.