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I was wondering how to make the breading/crust on the top of a chicken pot pie really crunchy, not flaky, but crunchy and crispy.
I know all the ingredients to make the topping in the first place. I just don't know what to add to give it that extra crunch. I don't know if anyone has had the pot pie from KFC, but I want my topping and sides to be that crunchy.
Can anyone help me?
First, use self-rising flour or use 1 teaspoon of baking powder added to each cup of all-purpose flour that you're using for the dredging and coating mixture. The carbon dioxide produced during frying will cause the coating to expand and become more flaky.
If you want more tender and flavorful chicken, first brine the pieces in buttermilk that has been mixed with several tablespoons of salt, some black pepper and whatever other seasonings you like. Otherwise just dip the chiken in buttermilk seasoned with salt and pepper.
Before dredging the chicken, sprinkle a little milk or water over your seasoned flour mixture. Shake the flour mixture around so that it asborbs the liquid, this will help create small crunch bits that will later adhere when you dredge the chicken. Dredge the chicken and then return to the milk and then dredge again to get a thicker coating of flour. Deep fry in enough oil to submerge, or pan-fry in enough oil to come about 2/3 up the chicken and turn a couple times to promote even browning. Alternatively, after pan frying until evenly brown all around, remove from oil and place on a baking rack on a sheet pan and finish cooking in the oven until the chicken is done.
There are two keys to this. First, work right on the pie and start in the middle. Second, fold strips back to make it easy to do the over/under.
This picture, from http://localfoods.about.com/od/preparationtips/ss/latticepiecrust_8.htm, is kind of the aha! moment for me. Fold half of the vertical strips back, lay a horizontal strip, unfold the folded strips and fold the ones that weren't, repeat.
Trim extra length from the strips, and use eggwash to glue them to the bottom part of the pie, where it comes up at the edges.
You'll have extra dough what with the trimmings and all - just use it to make a freeform gallete or the like. If you have no extra pie filling, use jam, or butter/brown sugar/raisins. Way less trouble than trying to make exactly the right amount of dough for the lattice.
Best Answer
Just a thought, you might like to swap your normal breadcrumbs for "Panko" Japanese crumbs, (available in most supermarkets) these crisp up more efficiently with tiny dots of butter on top. The other trick I often do for crispy breadcrumb toppings, is to add a small amount of dry couscous to the mix, before baking.
I also roll wet potatoes in dry couscous, to make roast potatoes really crispy, The extra texture and crunch is great.