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Hi, this is Chef John from foodwishes.com, and today we have a " chicken crime scene." That's right, this chicken became a victim of ill intentions. She was stabbed, drowned, fried, and filmed. But the technique I'm going to show you is much more than just a provocative serve. This is a way to cook fried chicken that has much more flavor. Oh yes, she is simply unearthly. To start, we will need one whole chicken. And, oddly enough, this one is missing the tip of its wing. Almost as if whoever processed it left it as a souvenir. But, anyway, to prepare it, we'll take a sharp knife and start making deep cuts all over the carcass. Let's start with the leg, all the way down to the joint. And then for almost every cut we make, we'll also make a cross cut.
Again, good and deep. And when we're done with the shin, we'll do the same with the thigh. And then we'll repeat all this on the other side. In addition to achieving that intentional look we're going for, these deep cuts will allow our marinade to seep into the meat. After baking, the meat will be much more flavorful than if we just applied everything on the outside. Now for the breast: I'll make one long, deep cut down the center, and then cross-cuts here and there where I think it will look good. Or maybe I meant -bad. Oh, and a tip from the pros: I think you should do it randomly and semi-symmetrically. See, if we did it very precisely, it would look like a ritual. And that would indicate intentionality. But if we do it
haphazardly, it will look more like a. And a good lawyer would have gotten us a shorter sentence for that. But, no matter what you will be the one holding the tools. So the decision will be yours. I mean, you're, after all, Edgar Allan Poe in choosing the locations for these cuts. But, whatever it is, once these major muscles are cut and pierced, we can work a little with a knife on the skin on the back, especially in the fattier areas, which will help the fat to melt away during baking. Then we can do the same with the skin in front if there is enough of it there. But there wasn't much of it here. So I'm going to stop and set it aside for a minute while we prepare our liquid marinade, also known as "blood." And let's start with the Korean
chili paste known as gochujang, or as any true foodie pronounces it, "go- chef-jeong." Then we'll add a little ketchup, followed by a dash of honey for sweetness to balance out the other flavors, although you could use brown sugar, maple syrup, or even molasses, which would perhaps give this a "bloodier" color. But no matter what, we'll add more soy sauce and a little sesame oil. After that, add some garlic powder, as well as onion powder, which is always taken in lumps. Why is onion powder always lumpy? That's all, now let's mix it with a whisk. And, as always, during the process we try to remember what we forgot, and I forgot the rice vinegar. So I added it and finished mixing. And before we dip the chicken in it, we'll take a ladle and pour
about half of it into a saucepan, so we can then decorate our " crime scene" and serve it with the finished chicken. Once that's done, take the chicken, put it in a bowl, and generously salt the surface, as well as the inside, since we didn't add salt to this marinade mixture. After adding the seasoning, turn the chicken over, dipping it in the mixture until it is completely coated. You probably think the layer is too small to say "dip," but that's not the case. And I would be happy to explain why, but I can't. Once the chicken is coated in the sauce, I'll take a brush to finish things off and make sure the mixture gets into every nook and cranny. And when we decide that everything is ready, we will transfer the chicken to a baking sheet
lined with foil and lightly greased with oil. When we have laid it out, we can brush it with the remaining sauce, if there is any. That's all. Now you can place it in the top rack of a 450°F oven for about an hour-depending on the size of the chicken, or until fully cooked to your liking. While it's cooking, take the reserved sauce, add a little cold water, mix, and bring to a boil. But not to the point of being violent, because we don't want it to evaporate. So, we just need something like this. Next, we'll add the starch mixture-a teaspoon of starch dissolved in a tablespoon of water-and whisk it all together over low heat. This starch should thicken the mixture just enough to make it resemble blood. That's all.
We can turn off the fire because it is already ready for use. Of course, you could add food coloring for an even more realistic blood color, but that was enough for me. So let's set it aside and wait for the chicken to be ready. If everything goes according to plan, she should look terrible, but don't worry, it'll get even worse. Now take a clean pastry brush and brush everything with the juices from the pan. And yes, I said clean brush. Of course, don't use the one that touched raw chicken unless you want to turn it into a real crime scene. Once we have greased the carcass, we remove the baking sheet. Try not to pierce the foil with a fork like I did, because you will have to wash what was supposed to stay clean. Anyway, we transfer the chicken to a serving plate,
and add these delicious juices to our "bloody" sauce. After that, we will move on to completing our crime scene. You can also break or dislocate a wing or tear the skin to make things look a little scarier. Now we take our sauce and " bleed" the dish. Later, I realized that I had overdone it, because the sauce filled the cuts and the appearance became less " criminal." But I definitely wanted it to form puddles on the tray in certain places. No matter how much you use it, the final touch must be blood splatters on the tray. Oh yes, they are the ones that forensic scientists will use to determine whether we are left-handed or right-handed. And that's it. At the end, I pierced one of the legs with a
meat fork. And, of course, as a final touch, you should place the murder weapon next to the body. That's all. My "crime scene chicken " is ready to eat. So let's cut off a few pieces and see what happens. And you know, friends, despite its appearance, this is simply an incredible way to bake a chicken. So by making all these deep cuts, we created a lot of extra surface area, and that always means more flavor and a deeper taste. And if you're worried that this method will make the chicken dry, don't be. It came out perfectly juicy and tender. So don't be afraid. And while I think our Korean-style BBQ version was truly incredible, don't forget that this is just a technique, not a specific recipe. So feel free
to experiment with other seasonings and sauces. And no, we probably shouldn't eat straight from the plate. We'll slice the chicken and serve it with something delicious, like roasted Brussels sprouts and brown rice. And pour a little more sauce on top and add finely chopped chives. But however you serve it, I think it's a really interesting idea that your guests will love. And whether you make this for a Halloween party, to watch a new detective series, or just to surprise your family on a regular weeknight, I really hope you try making it soon. So please follow the links below to find ingredient amounts, a printable recipe, and much more information. As always, delicious.
