Fried Adobo Chicken (Chicharrones de Pollo — Dominican Republic)

Adobo :
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Combine lime juice, soy sauce and garlic in a large bowl.

Chicken:
1 (3 pound) frying chicken, drumsticks and wings intact
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Cut each breast into 4 pieces and each thigh into 2 pieces; rinse and pat chicken dry. Toss chicken pieces in the adobo so that they are thoroughly coated. Marinated the chicken, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, turning the pieces after 2 hours have elapsed.

Mix together flour, paprika and black pepper in a medium shallow dish. Shake the adobo off the chicken pieces and roll them, one by one, in the flour so that they are evenly coated.

Heat 2 inches vegetable oil in a deep fryer, kettle or large deep skillet to 325 degrees F. Fry the chicken in batches of 4 pieces until golden, approximately 6 minutes per side. The drumsticks will take a little longer to cook. Do not fry more than 4 pieces at once or the oil will cool down during cooking. Drain chicken on paper towels. Arrange chicken on a baking sheet and keep warm in a low oven. Cook the remaining 3 batches of chicken and serve at once.

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer and 4 as a main dish.