Comfort Foods-Southern Fried Chicken
Pkg of four thawed chicken breast, or your choice of chicken pieces (skin on or off - your preference)
1 cup of plain flour
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. curry powder
1/2 t. paprika
1 cup Cooking oil (more if you want to deep fry)
Iron skillet
Rinse chicken, leaving slightly damp. Heat oil. Mix dry ingredients, dredge chicken in the flour mixture. Place immediately in hot oil (that sizzles when you drop a little flour in it). Fry until a golden crust forms on the bottom, turn, lower heat to medium, cover, and fry until golden on both sides...fry a little more...Then uncover and crisp it up. Meaning fry on both sides until desired crispness/color is reached.
1 cup of plain flour
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. curry powder
1/2 t. paprika
1 cup Cooking oil (more if you want to deep fry)
Iron skillet
Rinse chicken, leaving slightly damp. Heat oil. Mix dry ingredients, dredge chicken in the flour mixture. Place immediately in hot oil (that sizzles when you drop a little flour in it). Fry until a golden crust forms on the bottom, turn, lower heat to medium, cover, and fry until golden on both sides...fry a little more...Then uncover and crisp it up. Meaning fry on both sides until desired crispness/color is reached.
Making Brown Gravy the Old Fashioned Way…from the oil used to fry the chicken. Please read cautions at bottom of post before trying this recipe.
After oil has cooled off a bit, turn off burner, and CAREFULLY pour the oil through a strainer into a metal container, such as a coffee can. Reserve the bits of browned crust and 3-4 Tbls. of the oil in the same skillet. WIPE THE SIDE OF SKILLET WITH A THICK CLOTH BEFORE RETURNING TO BURNER. Add about the same amount of plain/all-purpose flour to the oil. Heat on medium to medium high, stirring constantly, and let it start browning. Once it starts browning turn down slightly, then quickly BUT CAREFULLY***, add about 2 & 1/2 cups of WARM*** broth*** or water IN A CONSTANT STREAM*** to skillet, stirring constantly. Turn to low and let simmer a few minutes until thickened to your liking. If it stops boiling*** when you add the liquid, let it return to boil, then turn it down to low. Stir occasionally until ready to serve. Add a bit more water or broth if it thickens too much (stir it in well). Can be served from skillet or poured into a gravy tureen or bowl for serving (not plastic).
***One Bouillon cube may be substituted for broth, Just crumble it into flour mixture while browning.
***A BURN FROM THIS COMBINATION OF OIL AND LIQUID IS VERY DANGEROUS, SO BE VERY CAREFUL! POUR A ***CONSTANT STREAM OF WARM LIQUID INTO THE FLOUR/OIL COMBINATION MAKING SURE ALL OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SKILLET IS COVERED IN LIQUID. WITH THE OTHER HAND STIR, SCRAPING THE BOTTOM OF PAN TO INCORPORATE ALL OF THE FLOUR COMBINATION INTO THE LIQUID QUICKLY, SO LUMPS DO NOT FORM. IF LUMPS FORM, SIMPLY MASH THEM WITH A SLOTTED SPATULA OR FORK TO SMOOTH THEM OUT. NO BIG DEAL.
***NEVER USE VERY COLD OR VERY HOT LIQUID. COLD LIQUID WILL STOP THE PROCESS CAUSING LUMPS TO FORM, AND HOT LIQUID WILL CAUSE THE MIXTURE TO BOIL TOO RAPIDLY, POSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
***ALWAYS KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM STOVE WHILE COOKING, BOILING, FRYING FOODS OR MAKING GRAVY, AND ALWAYS TURN THE HANDLE of pot/pans and skillets TO THE CENTER OF THE STOVE AWAY FROM LITTLE HANDS.
After oil has cooled off a bit, turn off burner, and CAREFULLY pour the oil through a strainer into a metal container, such as a coffee can. Reserve the bits of browned crust and 3-4 Tbls. of the oil in the same skillet. WIPE THE SIDE OF SKILLET WITH A THICK CLOTH BEFORE RETURNING TO BURNER. Add about the same amount of plain/all-purpose flour to the oil. Heat on medium to medium high, stirring constantly, and let it start browning. Once it starts browning turn down slightly, then quickly BUT CAREFULLY***, add about 2 & 1/2 cups of WARM*** broth*** or water IN A CONSTANT STREAM*** to skillet, stirring constantly. Turn to low and let simmer a few minutes until thickened to your liking. If it stops boiling*** when you add the liquid, let it return to boil, then turn it down to low. Stir occasionally until ready to serve. Add a bit more water or broth if it thickens too much (stir it in well). Can be served from skillet or poured into a gravy tureen or bowl for serving (not plastic).
***One Bouillon cube may be substituted for broth, Just crumble it into flour mixture while browning.
***A BURN FROM THIS COMBINATION OF OIL AND LIQUID IS VERY DANGEROUS, SO BE VERY CAREFUL! POUR A ***CONSTANT STREAM OF WARM LIQUID INTO THE FLOUR/OIL COMBINATION MAKING SURE ALL OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SKILLET IS COVERED IN LIQUID. WITH THE OTHER HAND STIR, SCRAPING THE BOTTOM OF PAN TO INCORPORATE ALL OF THE FLOUR COMBINATION INTO THE LIQUID QUICKLY, SO LUMPS DO NOT FORM. IF LUMPS FORM, SIMPLY MASH THEM WITH A SLOTTED SPATULA OR FORK TO SMOOTH THEM OUT. NO BIG DEAL.
***NEVER USE VERY COLD OR VERY HOT LIQUID. COLD LIQUID WILL STOP THE PROCESS CAUSING LUMPS TO FORM, AND HOT LIQUID WILL CAUSE THE MIXTURE TO BOIL TOO RAPIDLY, POSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
***ALWAYS KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM STOVE WHILE COOKING, BOILING, FRYING FOODS OR MAKING GRAVY, AND ALWAYS TURN THE HANDLE of pot/pans and skillets TO THE CENTER OF THE STOVE AWAY FROM LITTLE HANDS.
