07 July 2012




It's Crazy Cooking Challenge Day!  In this challenge, all the participants make and blog about the same dish each month.  Each blogger is to post a unique version of whatever that month's dish is.  This month's assigned dish was fried chicken.  So we were to find a great fried chicken recipe, make it, and blog about it.

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This was an interesting one for me, because while I absolutely love fried chicken, I had never made it before.  I am not a fan of frying things, so I only eat fried chicken when we're out, but even rarely then.  I was quite intimidated by the thought of making it myself.  I was having trouble finding a recipe that I liked from a blog, but then our hostess Tina announced that we could get a recipe from anywhere.  We are no longer limited to recipes from other blogs.  That helped a lot in this challenge.  

I spent a lot of time researching fried chicken recipes.  I had trouble finding the perfect one. I knew I wanted to pan fry it, not deep fry.  And I wanted a simple flour coating, and I couldn't do a traditional buttermilk marinade because my little one is allergic to dairy.   Usually, for this challenge, I try to find a really unique version of whatever that month's assigned dish is.  But this month, since I had never made fried chicken before, I just decided to go with the traditional.  Nothing unique or fancy; just good plain fried chicken.  I didn't end up choosing a specific recipe to try; I had read enough recipes in doing my research, that I just went into the kitchen and winged it.  The results were better than I had imagined.  I made really good fried chicken!

Pan Fried Chicken and Country Gravy

Ingredients:
1¼ cups flour
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp black pepper
3 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken (I did 8 legs & 2 thighs)
1½ cups Crisco
1½ cups canola oil
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine flour, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper in a large resealable plastic bag or large bowl with a lid.  Add chicken pieces, seal, and toss to coat chicken evenly.  Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet, and arrange floured chicken pieces on the cooling rack.  Place in the refrigerator for an hour.  Remove from fridge.

Put Crisco and canola oil in a 12” skillet and heat to about 325°.  Add half of the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown on one side, about 12-15 minutes.  Carefully flip each piece over and cook another 12-15 or until internal temperature reads 180°.  Remove chicken from skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Remove all but 2 tbsp of oil in the skillet.  Stir in 2 tbsp flour and cook for a minute or two.  Slowly whisk in the milk, and bring to a boil.  When it starts to thicken, reduce heat to low.  Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve with fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

Makes 4 servings.































Putting the chicken in the fridge for an hour may seem odd, but I used that technique when I made my Crispy Baked Orange Teriyaki Wings and they had the crispiest, yummiest golden brown skin, so I thought why not try it with fried chicken.  An hour in the fridge kind of dries out the skin just a tad so that it can't get soggy at all.  My fried chicken had a perfect golden brown crust that didn't have a tendency to fall off, like some do.  I was very pleased with it.

This chicken made the perfect summertime meal with mashed potatoes, pan gravy, and corn.  Yum!

While it turned out perfectly, I certainly won't be in any hurry to make it again soon.  It was pretty labor-intensive, a mess to clean up (I was reminded of why I don't ever fry things), and the oil splattered and burned me into 2 places.  But I am really glad I did it, and now I can say that I have successfully made fried chicken!

Check out all the great fried chicken recipes below and come back next month too see what kind of unique cheesecake recipe I come up with!





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9 comments:

  1. Nothing wrong with traditional good old plain fried chicken...yours looks wonderful!

    Thank you for checking out my CCC entry  Copycat "KFC" Original Recipe Fried Chicken and your comment.Lisa~~Cook Lisa Cook

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  2. LovebakesgoodcakesJuly 7, 2012 at 12:47 PM

    That meal looks perfect!

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  3. The only thing that makes fried chicken better is gravy.  YUM!

    #46

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  4. You had me at cream gravy!  Your chicken looks wonderful and yummy!  By the way, your girls are the cutest!

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  5. Nice job, Lesa!  You did an excellent job wingin' it.  And love the gravy.  :-)
    Oh, and for your little one allergic to dairy ... I learned through my chosen recipe for this month's Challenge that honey is a FABULOUS tasty & tenderizing marinade for chicken ... could that be an option for you?
    Tracey @ The Kitchen is My Playground (CCC #7)

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  6. This fried chicken looks so delicious!! Stopping by from CCC#45. 

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  7. Lesa, your plate looks so inviting! Nothing better than a fried chicken dinner :)

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  8. The Undomestic GoddessJuly 9, 2012 at 11:46 AM

    Your chicken looks delicious! And I will have to try the refridgerator tip.

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