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Post by Silver on Oct 16, 2021 12:44:32 GMT 1
In the end we had 7 people testing my recipe #7 (recipe #4 plus Tarragon) as a neighbor was invited over.
As to the salt level, the vastly predominating consensus was that although my recipe did not taste as salty as KFC I should not seek to raise the salt level.
The sogginess of KFC_OR coating was considered a negative, but is agreed to be a defining characteristic. KFC was a shade or two lighter in color than my recipe, and KFC was distinctively on the yellow side. Our chicken was more brown/red.
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Post by Silver on Oct 16, 2021 12:55:24 GMT 1
If KFC is presently only adding 3 Lbs. of Salt to 25 Lbs. of flour (in addition to adding the 26 ounce herb/spice bag, and also a second and smaller bag which contains mainly powdered milk and powdered egg whites) then my opinion is that the salt content of the 26 ounce herb/spice bag must be way higher than is commonly presumed. Either that, or there must also be salt in the milk/egg bag. One way or another, there seems to be a whopper load of salt in KFC_OR.
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flg
Souschef
Posts: 1,578
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Post by flg on Oct 16, 2021 14:58:27 GMT 1
Sounds like you are back on track after this one. Good work!
I'm convinced today the 26oz spice/bag is largely Salt, Pepper, Garlic, few other spices just for looks and the rest is synthetic spray on type flavoring. If you can make a fire log smell like KFC, you can spray that mixture on salt and it smells and tastes like KFC.
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flg
Souschef
Posts: 1,578
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Post by flg on Oct 16, 2021 15:03:47 GMT 1
OK, my family has come to a general consensus on our actual attempt #7, which is essentially my recipe #4 plus Tarragon. 1) First, everyone agreed that my recipe is better "as is" than KFC. And since it is already better the consensus is that there is little benefit to be had from changing it. That said the remaining consensus in a nutshell (when pressed as to what is needed to make it more like KFC) is as follows: 2) To match KFC it would need more Salt. Some said a lot more. 3) To match KFC it would need more Sage. 4) To match KFC it would need more Tarragon. 5) My recipe has a bit of sweetness that KFC lacks, but a polled consensus is that the sweetness is of positive benefit and should not be reduced. 6) The Tarragon appears to have solved the earlier "floral sweetness" problem (which is different from the above purely sweetness/sweetness issue). 5) Everything else is fine. Pepper level is close to identical. I have moved sage around a few times as well. It's the one thing weight wise would be nice for me to be able to nail down. I agree on the salt, my recipe needs more however I'd be more than happy not to have as much salt as KFC hands down.
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Post by Silver on Oct 16, 2021 15:25:12 GMT 1
I'm already planning Recipe #8. It boosts the Sage and Tarragon, and replaces Tones Chili Powder with Red & Green Bell Pepper Flakes and a pinch of Cayenne. Tentatively it looks like this:
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Post by deepfriednew101 on Oct 16, 2021 15:55:02 GMT 1
The KFC NEW AGE Fluff 11 herb and spices are extract based which is mixed with carriers that contain, Salts, Corn Starch, Starches, Corn Syrup ETC ETC ETC.
Using a Salt as a carrier for the extracts allows a company to NOT label the extracts and list it as a SALT.
many of the Commercial season salts are all pushing extracts into the Salt.
Bait and switch
BUT KEEP THIS IN MIND ... ... ... VERY KEY POINT
when a commercial blender and mixer used EXTRACTS in the Salts and not the real Herb Spice Season ETC ETC ETC
the overall weigh of the amount of the Spices are cut by between 40% to 55%.
So keeping in mind that a 26oz bag with extracts then would weight approximately 40oz as a example if they used real spices and herbs to get the same extract base 26oz bag of NEW AGE Fluff
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Post by deepfriednew101 on Oct 16, 2021 16:13:00 GMT 1
also a key factor that used in KFC
Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate at max amount
plus many of the other additives they use have salt base in it?
I tell people the Salt is a EASY fix if your Low just add small amount more.
Or add a Powder soup base which is sodium base loaded. with the extra stuff KFC uses in there NEW AGE 11 Herbs and Fluff
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Post by deepfriednew101 on Oct 16, 2021 16:13:46 GMT 1
OLD rule of thumb with the Salt to Taste
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Post by Silver on Oct 16, 2021 20:13:42 GMT 1
Today was the obligatory eating of the chicken leftovers day. The chasm between the bright and uplifting taste of my recipe #7 and KFC grew much wider, easily favoring #7. By comparison the day old KFC coating was best described as extremely dull tasting. But the thing I least expected was the taste of the meat itself, once stripped of all coating. The KFC chicken meat tasted awful, and our store bought chicken tasted wonderful. I can't explain it sans to describe the taste of the KFC chicken meat as meat with a flavor reminiscent of what one might epect for cooked chicken that had been sitting in a refrigerator for about a week or more. Another way to describe it is that it almost reminded me of a mild level of freezer burn taste. But most likely it was the taste of chicken cooked in totally exhausted and spent oil.
My oldest daughter had actually noticed and mentioned the vast difference in the qualities of the bare meat tastes to my wife yesterday, during the family meal, and she stated then to my wife that the KFC meat itself was terrible, so this oddity that just stood out like a sore thumb to me today isn't something that only occurred overnight in our refrigerator.
No matter if I was concentrating upon the coating only, or upon the chicken only, or upon both together, our day old recipe #7 has it all over day old KFC_OR, hands down. At this juncture it may be futile for me to attempt to improve upon recipe #7 (#4 with Tarragon). Will that stop me from trying?
I will never again be able to say that KFC Original Recipe is the best there is. At least not the 'new-age' derivation...
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flg
Souschef
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Post by flg on Oct 17, 2021 16:31:38 GMT 1
Been doing a lot of thinking about 2 ingredients lately. As a result I updated an old post "The End". Those are: Cardamom and Basil. Basil has that similar Anise profile as Tarragon so both could cover that flavor off. Basil could fill in the Marjoram and Thyme slots as well. Could Basil replace in this recipe (Marjoram/Thyme/Anise).
Cardamom may be able to replace Allspice in recipes and also may be able to add that fruity block replacing orange or lemon zest/Lemon pepper etc. Also may give a bit more cinnamon flavor as well.
They do seem like valid roads to look down before traveling at least.
My current recipe:
3g MSG 3g White Pepper 2.5g Black Pepper (fine, course 50/50) 1.3g Garlic Salt 0.5g Coriander 0.5g Ginger 0.35g Allspice 0.35g Thyme 0.35g Sage 0.35g Sweet Paprika/Cayenne (60/40 blend) 0.25g Summer Savory 0.25g Clove 0.15g Anise Seed 0.15g Marjoram
With Cardamom and Basil it may look like:
MSG White Pepper Black Pepper (fine, course 50/50) Garlic Salt Coriander Ginger Cardamom Basil Sage Sweet Paprika/Cayenne (60/40 blend) Summer Savory Clove
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