Which of the following lists the three stages of dropping the bird in correct order?

• A. Flour, Drop, Cook
• B. Drop, Flour, Cook
• C. Flour, Cook, Drop
• D. Cook, Flour, Drop

Answer: (A)

Coating first, then frying, then finishing ensures the coating forms and the chicken cooks evenly. Begin by dredging in flour to create a dry, adherent surface that the oil can grab onto and that will help the breading stay on during frying. Next, drop the coated piece into hot oil so the crust sets quickly and the interior starts to cook. Finally, cook through to the proper internal temperature while the crust finishes crisping and turning golden.

If you dropped the chicken naked into oil, the flour wouldn’t have a chance to adhere and the coating wouldn’t develop properly. Cooking without the initial coating wouldn’t produce the same crisp crust or even cooking. So the correct order is flour, drop, cook.