Picture this: It’s a beautiful day, you’re enjoying a picnic, and you take a bite into a cold, soggy piece of fried chicken—it doesn’t have to be this way.
Cold fried chicken is common picnic fare, but it can get flaccid or even soggy, missing that quintessential crunch it has when it’s hot. But crispy cold fried chicken isn’t a pipe dream thanks to Cook’s Country’s Picnic Fried Chicken recipe, which uses a secret ingredient: Wondra flour.
What is Wondra flour?
It’s a brand of instant flour that has been precooked and dried, also known as pregelatinization. It’s a favorite for making gravies and other sauces, but why is it so important for making fried chicken? I reached out to our science editor, Paul Adams to get some insight on the magic of Wondra flour when it’s mixed with cornstarch, as the recipe instructs.