Chicken a Little?

I'm not just an off balance redhead with a circular saw and hot glue.

 Around here, I'm Momma, Southern Cook Extraordinaire.

 So when my little boy, Samwow, brought his girlfriend here to meet the family,

he had a few culinary requests for the menu, 

one of them being my famous Buttermilk Fried Chicken.

There's nothing healthy or low fat about the following dish, but it IS unapologetically delicious

And life isn't worth living without the occasional bad girl moment, is it?

Grab your apron and follow me for Sunday Dinner, Southern style.

This is the only fried chicken recipe you'll ever need.

And it will feed an army of hungry friends and family.

2 whole chickens, cut up

1 quart of buttermilk

4 eggs

2 tbsp Adobo seasoning or seasoning salt

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp Lawry's Roasted Garlic Chicken Seasoning

Place the chicken in a gallon ziplock bag.

Pour in buttermilk to coat and refrigerate the chicken to marinate,

turning it every so often, for 8 hours or over night.

The enzymes in the buttermilk will break down the muscle and make

your chicken the tenderest bird EVER.

 

 Ready to make some magic?

Pour yourself a glass of wine, or in my case, a glass of

I Can't Believe It's Not Cabernet!

Mix the flour and seasonings with a fork in a flat bottomed casserole.

This may sound a little weird, but I sprinkle a pinch of the flour mixture onto my tongue

to test the flavor.

If you like your chicken a little spicier, add more cayenne.

Break the eggs into a casserole and beat them lightly.

add 3 cups of buttermilk and whip with a fork until you have this

bizarre curdled looking stuff.

In a deep saute pan (I use my wok), heat some canola oil until a few drops of water

flicked from your fingers onto the surface sizzles.

Remove the chicken from the bag and set it on a plate.

Dip each piece in the egg stuff to coat, then dredge it in the flour,

making sure you coat it well.

Set it in the oil carefully and turn after about 10 minutes.

This is the gorgeous golden we're going for.

THIS is why hush puppies, which is fried dough scraped off of your fingers

into the oil, were invented; to ward off orbiting chicken snatchers.

Slice into the deepest part of the chicken and make sure you see no pink.

I usually use a breast as my litmus test.

Now you have a feel for how long to cook the bird.

Set each piece on a rack over paper towels to drain so it's just crispy morsels of delectability.

(By the way, this is also fantastic with shrimp!)

While this is frying, how about some perfect side dishes?

Get some fresh corn boiling in water with a splash of regular milk,

which will draw out the natural sugars and make it extra tender.

Simmer at a gentle boil until a fork goes in easily.

Some simple fresh room temperature tomatoes sliced thickly are a 

great accompaniment.

And some okra?

Don't mind if I do!

Start with 5 cups of frozen or fresh veggie, cut bite size.

You'll need 2 cups lightly seasoned (salt, pepper, and garlic; let the vegetables shine through) flour,

 2 eggs beaten with a cup of regular milk, 

and a cup and a half of corn meal, set up in that order.

Dredge the okra in the flour first.

Dip it in the egg and allow it to drain a bit.

Plop the okra in the cornmeal to coat.

Fry it until golden brown in some sizzling canola oil and then drain it on

a rack for 5 minutes.

Light some candles, Guys.

This dinner is inexpensive, but seriously special.

Enjoy your guilty pleasure in the privacy of your own home.

Ya'll start eatin' before it gets cold!