As kids, Momma would always allow my sister Ashley and I to pencil our dinner ideas into a monthly calendar. For her, such a practice created one less thing to think about – no more “what’s for dinner” questions. Ashley and I also ensured that pizza and taco night were a weekly occurrence.
But every now and then, Daddy would catch wind of a meal that didn’t suit his tastes, and that whole “plan” thing went kaput.
You see, Daddy is a meat-n-potatoes kind of guy. In other words, no frills or hard-to-pronounce dishes; he simply sought the comfort foods of his youth to ease the stress of travel and a busy work week.
[amazon asin=0615318797&template=*lrc ad (left)]On such evenings, I remember Momma spending a bit more time to make our nightly dinner – standing over the stove watching chickens fry to a golden brown in hot oil contained by a cast-iron skillet that was as old as the Great War.
Though I resented Daddy for scraping our planned pasta Mediterranean, it was typically just a few bites into Momma’s Southern comfort foods that made such resentment quickly fade – leaving plenty of room for a satisfying food coma, washed down with gulps of sweet tea.
Nowadays, it seems that I’m always in flux, cooking my wife Callie and I a dinner based on what’s in season, what I’m testing, or what’s on sale at the store. I couldn’t even commit to a weekly meal calendar, as it seems I’ve [amazon asin=B001CDP5UO&template=*lrc ad (right)]become a slave to life’s demands, manuscript deadlines, and red-eye flights.
But sometimes – I put a stop to all that nonsense. I scrap the plans. Work can wait and travel can be rearranged.
It’s in such moments that you’ll find me in my home kitchen – not whipping up a soufflé or putting together a crudité platter. Rather, I’ll be standing over that same hand-me-down skillet, frying up chicken in the tradition of my ancestors, and allowing the following dishes to remind me that dinner tonight is not just a monotonous planned activity – it’s a chance to slow down and enjoy the best of what life has to offer. So, tonight, I’d like to thank [amazon asin=B00006JSUB&template=*lrc ad (left)]Momma for teaching me how to fry the chicken, and Daddy for teaching me how to savor the entire flavor.
Cast-Iron Skillet Fried Chicken
There is nothing better than frying chicken in a cast-iron skillet. Down south, such a method is the only way to “properly” fry a chicken – yielding a crispy golden skin, only to give way to moist, tender chicken. My grandfather, a butcher by trade, always said that the best frying chickens were those that weighed in at around 2-3 lbs. Finding a chicken that size is easier said than done nowadays, as most whole chickens are double that size – which certainly raises some concern! So, in this instance, I suggest buying a smaller organic or free range bird – you can taste the results. You guys have been clamoring for my grandmother’s fried chicken recipe for quite a while – [amazon asin=B0007M2BN0&template=*lrc ad (right)]which this is not – I’m saving it for my new book! Regardless, this is a damn good version that wins approval in any Southern kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 3lb chicken, cut into eighths
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup water
- [amazon asin=B00HYXOUU2&template=*lrc ad (left)]1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 tbsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce
- ½ tsp. fresh-cracked pepper
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- Peanut oil, for frying
Directions[amazon asin=0848742826&template=*lrc ad (right)]
- Thoroughly wash and rinse chicken under cold running water, pat dry, and place into a large mixing bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients, except oil, and use your hands to work the flour mixture into a paste to coat the chicken – adding a bit more water if necessary. Cover chicken with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- Fill a cast-iron skillet with peanut oil until it reaches just over halfway up the side of the skillet. Over medium-high heat, bring the oil to 350 degrees F. Add chicken, working in batches of white meat and dark meat; fry the white meat pieces for 6-7 minutes per side, and the dark meat 7-8 minutes per side. Always ensure that you drop the chicken away from you in the oil to prevent hot oil from splattering on you during the process.
- Remove chicken from oil and place on a wire rack to drain. Keep warm in a 200-degree oven until ready to serve.