TOUGH CHICKEN SKIN

[sherlock]

DID MY FIRST SMOKE YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Had the family over and I smoked some chicken. Like someone said somewhere in the forum, "You can't hardly screw anything up. All went well and everyone was raving over the chicken.

OK...........

1.   I screwed up on the time. I smoked three chickens cut in half. The recipe said 4 1/2 to 5 hours at 210 deg. I didn't notice that the recipe was for 3 chicken weighing 2 1/2 lbs each. Well mine were 4 1/2 lbs each. That was no problem because I had allowed extra time for delays.

2.   Chicken looked beautiful. Absolutely perfect color. Done just how I wanted. The leg quarters were falling away from the breast quarter. Could not ask for anything to look better.

3.   The proof of the pudding is in the taste. The chicken tasted great everyone was raving. However, I was disatisfied the toughness of the skin. It was not dry, it was like a tough rubbery  texture. The breast were a little dry for my taste but, I only cooked them to 160 degrees, but I can cut back on the time. What can be done to have crispy skin?

Thanks
Nathan


PS. Wife is wanting me to smoke something else today. Thats a good sign.

[La Quinta]

Congratulations! I did a chicken the other day...I just smoked it for about an hour (just to get the smoke in the bird) then I threw it on the grill (bacause I too don't like the "rubber skin"!) Came out fabulous...Or you could deep fry it...that's good too! Smoke it until it's fully cooked then pop it in a deep fryer. If you fry real fast you won't actually cook the meat anymore...just the skin!! Yum!!

[Carter]

I may be one of the guys who said you can't screw anything up.

The first thing I smoked was a chicken and it was way too smokey.  4 hours of hickory...whoa nellie.

We still ate every scrap.

Skin was rubbery, but I had expected that.  The smoker just doesn't crisp up the skin so we discarded it.  Probably for the best healthwise (coming from the guy who poured heavy cream & vodka into his Penne a la Kummok's smoked salmon).

Carter

[LilSmoker]

I always brine any poultry that's being done BS style, keeps the bacteria at bay, and produces lovely moist meat.

If you want crispy skin, finish of at a higher heat in a regular oven  ;)

Similar thread here:

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=5646.0

LilSmoker

[Gizmo]

Or you could deep fry it...that's good too! Smoke it until it's fully cooked then pop it in a deep fryer. If you fry real fast you won't actually cook the meat anymore...just the skin!! Yum!!

Boy it is good thing you don't live next door, I'd be over for dinner.   ;D

[La Quinta]

And you would be more then welcome!! I can't tell you "guys" how much I've learned from this forum!! Fabulous! Great fun!