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Sept. 10, 2006 Kentucky Fried Chicken is not made with eleven secret herbs and spices. A chemical analysis found only four--flour, salt, black pepper, and monosodium glutamate. Nevertheless, it is a good product and if the home cook has an urge for Kentucky Fried Chicken, then they should get in the car and go pick up a box or a barrel. There is nothing complicated about making Kentucky Fried Chicken, but the home cook usually doesn't have the proper equipment. The famous chain uses special pressure fryers which aren't practical for home kitchens. It is possible to recreate an exact duplicate at home though, if one has a good sturdy pot with a lid. First, select a small three pound chicken cut up. A five pound broiler is too big and tough for frying, especially the modern ones bred for big breasts that can be converted into chicken nuggets. I discovered the following recipe in the New Orleans Creole Cookbook by Mary Bremer (copyright 1932). Dump a cup of flour on a plate and season it well with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and monosodium glutamate. The secret to the dish--what makes it taste so special--is the black pepper, so go heavy on it--at least fourty grinds. Stir the flour mixture with a fork and roll the chicken pieces (skin on) in the flour mixture. Dip the chicken in water and roll it in the flour again. I'm not sure what this does, but I think it makes the breading thicker. Melt one cup of crisco in the pot and put the chicken pieces in. Make sure the pan is not overcrowded. Only three pieces can cook at a time and that's what makes the dish inconvenient for home cooks. Put the lid on and reduce the heat to medium high. After twenty minutes turn the chicken over and fry covered for another twenty minutes. Then cook the next batch. When all the chicken pieces are done make the gravy. Pour out all but a tablespoon of grease but leave the brown bits in the pan. Add a tablespoon of flour and stir until dissolved. Add a cup of low sodium chicken broth and bring to a boil. Sounds like too much trouble, doesn't it? Well, here are five baked chicken recipes that are much more convenient for home cooking because all the chicken gets done at the same time. Buy a large pyrex glass baking dish with a lid. This had multiple uses (casseroles, vegetables) and is practical for home use. Start with a cut up broiler. Remove the skin. Melt butter and season it with salt and black pepper. Use a room temperature chicken or the butter will soldify. Dip the chicken in the melted butter and roll it in either whole wheat flour or buckwheat pancake mix. Place the chicken pieces in the baking dish, cover, and bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. According to the Bull Cook Volume II, this was the recipe George Washington used to impress the famous chef, Chateaubriand. It impresses everybody I cook it for. Another good breading for baked chicken is a mixture of flour and crushed Ritz crackers. Season the flour heavily with freshly ground black pepper. Remove the skin from the chicken. This is a critical step in all baked chicken recipes--it makes them less greasy. Dip the chicken pieces in flour then beaten egg then roll in crushed cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Chicken Paprika is a great wintertime dish. Remove the skin from a cut up chicken and render the fat out. This is easily done by frying the skin in a pan at a medium temperature. Season the chicken pieces with salt, roll in flour, and brown in the rendered chicken fat. Put the pieces in the baking dish and sautee two chopped onions in the pan the chicken was browned in until they are tender. Add one tablespoon of sweet Hungarian Paprika to one cup of low sodium chicken broth and heat to boiling. Pour this on the onions, and then pour the onion gravy over the chicken. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. The best part of this dish is the gravy so make sure there are plenty of mashed potatoes and good bread for dipping. Country Captain is our family's favorite summer chicken dish. Remove the skin from the cut up pieces of chicken. Season with salt and brown in melted butter. Place the pieces in the baking casserole and sautee two chopped onions, two bell peppers, and two cloves of garlic in the pan the chicken was browned in. Season the vegetables with one teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of curry powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper. When the vegetables are soft add a 28 ounce can of Hunt's crushed tomatoes, six tablespoons of raisins or currants, and 1/2 teaspoon of thyme. Bring to a boil and pour over the chicken pieces. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with rice. Hunter's chicken is another dish whose best friend is mashed potatoes. Remove the skin from a cut up chicken. Season with salt and brown in olive oil. Place the chicken pieces in the casserole dish and add one chooped onion, 1/2 a chopped celery stalk, one chopped bell pepper, salt, fennel seeds, oregeno, and garlic to the pan the chicken was browned in. Sautee the vegetables until tender and add two cups of chopped tomatoes. Pour the vegetables on the chicken and cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. While the chicken is baking sautee` a pound of sliced mushrooms. When the chicken is done, remove the casserole from the oven and add the mushrooms and about 2/3 cup of red wine and stir. I prefer a Bergundy or Paisano table wine. ------------ About the author Mark Gelbart: My book, Talk Radio, is a black comedy about a radio talk show host who gets kidnapped and psychologically tortured by a loser. www.mark-gelbart.com Email: agelbart@aol.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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