Jacques Pepin's Extra Crispy Fried Chicken Hinges On Wondra Flour

No one knows food quite like Jacques Pépin. The French chef, cookbook author, and television host has graced home cooks with fabulous recipes and nifty kitchen tips for decades. For example, Pépin suggests sprinkling instant potato mix into your soups as a quick and easy thickener. Then, of course, there are trickier dishes, such as fried chicken, which require much more precision when preparing. But don't worry, Pépin has got you covered there as well. For the crispiest, crunchiest fried chicken, Pépin suggests using Wondra flour rather than regular flour, as it is less likely to gum up while cooking. This suggestion comes from his book "Jacques Pépin Poulets & Légumes: My Favorite Chicken & Vegetable Recipes," which was published in 2018. 

But what is Wondra flour, and what makes it such a good choice for fried chicken? For starters, it has been milled to a fine consistency (much finer than standard flour) and pre-cooked so that it is less likely to clump. This type of flour dissolves easily in water, which makes it a great choice for gravies and sauces. It also makes it perfect for breading chicken, as it creates a perfectly crunchy, crispy crust. Now, Pépin's recipe isn't exactly a traditional fried chicken recipe. There is no dredging involved. Rather, you simply cut your chicken breast into chunks, toss in the Wondra flour and seasoning, and fry. However, you can swap standard flour for Wondra in your standard (or buttermilk, which you can make yourself) fried chicken recipe.

You may not be familiar with Wondra flour, and that's okay! Wondra flour is not a standard ingredient in baking or cooking, but rather a variety of flour produced by Gold Medal Flour. Practically speaking, Wondra flour is most often used as a thickening agent for gravies and soups. The product was first developed in the 1960s and cannot be used interchangeably with other flours, such as cake flour, especially in baked goods such as cake. Wondra flour is much finer than other flours, and is pre-gelatanized to prevent it from clumping. The flour dissolves in liquids, and has a light, thin texture. This makes it perfect for breading chicken, as it won't form a thick shell, but a light coating that is crisp without being too stiff.

You can also use Wondra flour to bread fish, as it will create a delicate, not too heavy, fry. Wondra also works great with crepes, as it produces a light and airy result. Some home cooks have noted that using Wondra flour for fried chicken gives it a bread-y taste, however, this can easily be adjusted with the use of seasonings. So, next time you whip up a batch of fried chicken, you should pull out a container of Wondra — it might just work wonders.