Brooklyn Bowl Fried Chicken

Name: Brooklyn Bowl Fried Chicken
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: Vegetable oil, for frying; 4 large egg whites; 1/2 cup matzo meal, or matzo crackers crushed with a rolling pin; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1 medium chicken (about 3 pounds), cut into eight pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 4 breast pieces; save wings for stock); Fine sea salt; freshly ground black and white pepper; 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (see recipe); Honey, for serving

By Pete Wells

Total Time: 25 minutes
Rating: 5(140)
Notes: Read community notes

This fried chicken is a specialty of Eric and Bruce Bromberg’s SoHo restaurant Blue Ribbon and many of its offspring, including Brooklyn Bowl, the bowling alley in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It is famous, and it is crunchy. And, as long as you are not afraid of having a three-inch-deep lake of hot oil in your kitchen, it is preposterously simple to make at home. No three-day buttermilk bath, or lard seasoned with bacon – just a quick crust of egg whites and matzo crumbs that the Bromberg brothers ought to patent. You sprinkle it with a sort-of-Cajun spice mix and send it to the table with pots of honey, if you are a restaurant, or, at home, with a bear-shaped squeeze bottle. The spice mix, all of which you will likely have in your pantry, comes together in two minutes.

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Learn: How to Make Fried Chicken

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

Vegetable oil, for frying
4large egg whites
½cup matzo meal, or matzo crackers crushed with a rolling pin
½cup all-purpose flour
1medium chicken (about 3 pounds), cut into eight pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 4 breast pieces; save wings for stock)
Fine sea salt
freshly ground black and white pepper
1teaspoon Cajun seasoning (see recipe)
Honey, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Fill a large pot with oil to a depth of about 3 inches. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fat thermometer reads 375 degrees.
Step 2
Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites in a large, shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, combine the matzo meal and flour. Keeping the dark meat and the white separate, dip each chicken piece in egg white and let excess drip back into the bowl. Then roll each chicken piece in the matzo mix, and tap off excess.
Step 3
Carefully lower the chicken thighs and drumsticks into the oil. After 3 minutes, carefully add the breast pieces. (Keep the oil at 375 by adjusting heat as necessary.) Fry until dark gold, about 10 minutes more. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper-towel-lined plate. Sprinkle immediately with salt and pepper, then coat the pieces with the Cajun seasoning. Serve the chicken with honey, for dipping.

Ratings

5 out of 5

140 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Michele6 years ago

I make this chicken once per year and my family fights over it. I prepare it for gatherings and people cannot get enough of it.

Penny in Florida6 years ago

It is delicious!

John1 year ago

This has been my go to fried chicken recipe for a few years now. Used with a deep-fryer, it produces some of the best fried chicken I've had anywhere. Today though, I think I made it even better. I was making chicken for a crowd and had doubled the flour & meal. I added 1/3c of sweet potato starch to the mix (available at Asian markets). It stopped the coating from shattering the moment you bite into or cut the chicken. It remained on the meat, crispy and delicious. Try it. Let me know.

Lex3 months ago

Excellent fried chicken recipe. Instead of all-purpose flour, I used 00 flour, which I keep on hand for making pizza dough. I read that since it is more finely milled than all-purpose flour, it makes for a crisper crust on fried foods. I also fried at 350 rather than 375, which tends to brown the chicken too rapidly before it is fully cooked.

John1 year ago

Irene G2 years ago

Insanely good - so crispy! Perfect on cajun seasoning - it is added after frying and since neither the raw meat or coating are seasoned, I did not find it too salty at all (and I’m low salt generally but covered the pieces in the seasoning). Devoured at a dinner and will make this again for a larger crowd!

Tom A2 years ago

I am discarding all the other Fried Chicken recipes I have saved. This is the only keeper, it is the best.

mvandolah2 years ago

I followed the recipe exactly as described plus a hint of cayenne in the seasoning and an extra dredge in the matzo meal/flour mixture (dry, wet, dry is the sequence). This is the best fried chicken I’ve ever made at home! Be sure to get a small fryer and cut the chicken up yourself rather than getting a pre-cut bird (those tend to be too large). We liked it so much that we ended up making old fashioned style waffles in the All-Clad waffle maker the next morning to eat with the leftovers.

Nicole3 years ago

Delicious. Seasoning is perfect. Crispy outside. So yummy!

mjdancy3 years ago

I like the seasoning mix and the fact that this recipe has 5 stars.

John A3 years ago

Perfect extra-crunchy fried chicken. Dip in flour before and after the egg whites. (Perhaps the author missed the first dip?)

R.O.5 years ago

Used Italian bread crumbs and chicken thighs cut into nugget size. It was a hit.

olive6 years ago

Has anyone ever tried this with just matzo meal?

Michele6 years ago

I make this chicken once per year and my family fights over it. I prepare it for gatherings and people cannot get enough of it.