Jan 19 2011
It’s Chicken Time, Y’All
I blame John Irving, mostly. Years ago, as I was reading The World According To Garp, I felt drawn to descriptions of food that had me both intrigued and hungry, and definitely distracted me from the rest of the story. One of them was for a salad that called for strips of roasted red peppers. The description of how to roast the peppers was detailed enough to pique my curiosity and make me want to try it out, which I did. I was in my early twenties at the time, and newly married, and I remember making this salad in our small apartment in Queens, with walnuts and blue cheese, and how lovely it was.
More recently, I read a book called The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. While the novel itself may not be as enjoyable as Garp, it did hold some culinary interest, at least for me. The story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi, in the 1960s. One of the characters in the book, Minny Jackson, is an African-American maid who, after some trials and tribulations, ultimately finds work as a housekeeper to a young white woman. She more or less befriends her new employer, and ends up teaching her a few housekeeping skills, including how to cook. At that point in the story, there is a description of Minny preparing buttermilk fried chicken which, although it does not offer a how-to, had me craving for some tender, crispy chicken with a side of sweet cornbread. I soon came up with my own recipe, in which the chicken is kept tender and moist by marinating it in a spicy buttermilk brine, then fried in a crispy coating of flour and cornmeal; does it get any better than this? I don’t think so either. I feel the time has come to share this with y’all, but before I do, I wonder: have any of you ever read a novel in which you have found ideas for new recipes? I’d love to hear your stories.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Corn Bread
For those of you who were beginning to suspect that I was just trying to weasel my way into your omnivorous kitchens with nothing more than vegetarian offerings, the wait is over.
For the chicken:
1.5 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp kosher salt or sea salt (only 1 Tbsp if using regular, fine table salt)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
10 to 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (much better than breast meat here)
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup neutral oil (peanut or canola)
Mix the first five ingredients together and pour in a 9 x 13 dish. Trim the chicken thighs of as much fat as possible, and place in the dish with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until hot (but not burning). Put the flour and cornmeal in a plastic storage bag (ziploc-style), close and shake to mix. Place drained chicken thighs in the bag two at a time and shake to coat. Remove chicken thighs from the bag and shake to remove excess flour. Place in the hot oil and fry on both sides until cooked, approx. 3 or 4 mn per side (you should cut into a piece to check that it is done). Keep an eye on your chicken pieces: if the cornmeal coating is browning too fast, lower the heat. You don’t want to end up with chicken that is underdone inside and dark outside.
Chicken in buttermilk marinade; dark meat chicken tastes best in this recipe.
Fryin' away...
For the cornbread:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
Preheat the oven at 375°. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside. Melt the butter in microwave. Whisk in sugar, then eggs, one by one,until the mixture is well blended and fluffy. Add salt, baking soda and buttermilk, and whisk carefully. Add flour and cornmeal and mix until the mixture is mostly smooth (do not worry if a few small lumps remain). Pour in baking pan and bake for approx. 35mn, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with the fried chicken, and a green salad lightly seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil and a few shavings of parmesan cheese, like this:
Lover-ly
Both the chicken and the cornbread look delicious. Have you ever read the Alice B. Toklas cookbook? It’s more of a novel than a cookbook, but many people recommend the recipe for brownies.
I understand those brownies are really something special, Mary, but I have not tried them personally. Great choice of food-related novel, I’m sure there’s much more in there to look at!
My family LOVED this chicken. Crispy, delicious and impossibly simple. It was my very first attempt at frying anything in oil and it was a success.
Thank you thank you thank you!!
Emily
You’re very welcome, Emily. So glad you picked this recipe!