why do no fried chicken shop manage to make chicken like kfc?

londonTiger

lets face it, all these friend chicken shops are wannabe kfc. They want to imitate kfc.

I do occasionaly grab some friend chicken as it's a really cheap protein source and actually isn't that unhealthy as long as you ditch the fries and sugary drink - which is where the blank carbs come from.

The fried chicken that a lot of asian shops come out with is absolutely horrendous. Barely edible.

So why is it that nobody has figured out how to make chicken like the gold standard of friend chicken that is KFC.

Surely it's just a matter of getting a good fryer and good batter mix and that's it. What is so difficult about that?

There are minimum wage workers who work for kfc who know how to make the stuff, so it's not rocket science - just ask one. The machine they use to make it can't be that difficult to imiate.

pendragon_arther

It's all in the 'erbs.

geerex

It's a secret blend of herbs - nobody else can replicate it 100%.

Same with the recipe for Coke, Pepsi, Irn Bru etc etc..

The-Truth

londonTiger wrote: »

lets face it, all these friend chicken shops are wannabe kfc. They want to imitate kfc.

I do occasionaly grab some friend chicken as it's a really cheap protein source and actually isn't that unhealthy as long as you ditch the fries and sugary drink - which is where the blank carbs come from.

The fried chicken that a lot of asian shops come out with is absolutely horrendous. Barely edible.

So why is it that nobody has figured out how to make chicken like the gold standard of friend chicken that is KFC.

Surely it's just a matter of getting a good fryer and good batter mix and that's it. What is so difficult about that?

There are minimum wage workers who work for kfc who know how to make the stuff, so it's not rocket science - just ask one. The machine they use to make it can't be that difficult to imiate.

Surely if it was that easy then YOU also would be able to do it!

jackieblack

There was a series on tv a few weeks ago about KFC, they said that there is only one person in the company who knows the exact recipe of the blend of herbs and spices for the coating. It is made by two or three (I can't quite remeber which) different companies and then mixed together, so not even the companies that make it know the whole recipe.

Hoof_Hearted

Perhaps other companies let their chickens live for more than three weeks....

HappyMJ

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

Perhaps other companies let their chickens live for more than three weeks....

Five weeks but I get the point....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2999689/The-35-day-life-KFC-chicken-shed-34-000-birds-Documentary-reveals-conditions-23-million-birds-fast-food-chain-uses-year-kept-in.html

Also it's high turnover. It takes around 10 minutes to deep fry a chicken piece. Customers do not want to be waiting for so long so high turnover is essential to getting freshly cooked food.

I've noticed a lot of local take away's pre cook a chicken piece. That makes it worse.

JReacher1

You can get some fried chicken that is the same level as KFC. There are a couple of chains Allens, and Dixy's which on occassion do produce pretty decent chicken.

The problem is that it is not consistent and varies from franchise to franchise and even varies from chicken piece to chicken piece (in the same restaurant).

With KFC they all use exactly the same cooking method and cooking time. Plus prepare the chicken exactly the same, right down to how many times they shake a chicken piece after they have dipped it in the coating.

Therefore no matter which KFC you go to you get the same high quality consistent fried chicken.

LadyDee

JReacher1 wrote: »

Therefore no matter which KFC you go to you get the same high quality consistent fried chicken.

High? Matter of taste.

SailorSam

What's that cookery book it's been mentioned on here several times, where the fella makes copy-cat recipies for all the takaways. That are suppose to taste the same if not better.

Baby_Angel

My DH works part time in KFC in the cooking department. It is their rigorous time keeping. There is nothing sold out of the specified time. Head offices practically watching them all the time. Small shops probably can't afford that. And of course the recipe and the consistency of the fried chicken and the secret recipe.