This is one of those weeks when only comfort food will do! We are experiencing torrential rains here in LA. The cold and blustery weather makes you want to snuggle up with a big bowl of chili, or a hot cup of cocoa, or in Hubby’s case – Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Creamed Corn.
Another simple recipe here today – but sometimes simple and hearty are just what the doctor ordered on a cold rainy day, like today!
My recipe for Fried Chicken has its roots in Arkansas, where my mom, Betty Lou grew up. I think I’ve mentioned in earlier posts that Mom was raised on a farm and moved to California as a teen. While growing up on the farm, Mom witnessed first-hand how chickens were raised and “prepared” for the dinner table, therefore Mom didn’t eat chicken, but we all loved it, so she used to make it for my dad, brother and me – she just took a pass on eating it and opted instead for the side dishes!
I’ve made a couple changes to Mom’s Fried Chicken recipe over the years. She used to soak the chicken in onions, garlic salt and buttermilk overnight. It’s actually juicier prepared that way, but I usually don’t plan on making fried chicken that far in advance. I sprinkle Kosher salt over the chicken and let it rest for an hour instead – creating a mini-brine effect.
Also, a few years ago I started using Rice flour for frying foods like tempura, fish and onions rings. Rice flour has such a light and crispy quality, I thought it would be perfect for my Fried Chicken coating. It really does make a difference. If your local market doesn’t carry Rice flour, (as mine doesn’t) you can always find it at Asian Grocery stores.
And like all the comfort foods I make at home, I serve my fried chicken, mashed potatoes and creamed corn on my Corelle dishes, in a “3-point Landing” – just the way God intended!
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rice flour
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heavily salt the chicken
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heat Canola oil and butter
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whisk the egg and buttermilk
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egg-buttermilk mixture
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coat chicken with flour
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fry the chicken til brown and crispy
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Yukon Golds
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boil the potatoes
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whip the potatoes
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2 cups white corn
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sauté corn in butter
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add cornstarch to the cream
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blend the corn
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add scallions and butter
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fried chicken, mashed potaotes & creamed corn
Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Creamed Corn
Buttermilk Fried Chicken — with Rice flour
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2 Whole Chickens, cut into pieces – Organic if possible
1/4-1/2 cup Kosher Salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rice flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
a dash of Cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 quart Canola or Peanut oil –for frying
4 tablespoon butter — for frying
1-2 Brown paper bags, for draining the cooked chicken (it can stick to paper towels and lose its flavor)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees
In a large bowl, or cookie sheet, coat the chicken pieces with the Kosher Salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove chicken from the refrigerator, rinse the chicken well and pat dry with paper towels
In a shallow bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, rice flour, garlic powder, cayenne and salt and pepper. (I go pretty heavy on the salt)
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Whisk in the buttermilk.
Working in shifts, dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, then the buttermilk/egg mixture — then coat again thoroughly in the flour mixture. Set aside.
Using a large skillet (I prefer a cast-iron skillet for fried chicken), heat the oil and butter until hot (about 350 degrees) but not smoking. Place the coated chicken pieces in the pan. Fry the chicken in the oil for 5 minutes on each side.
Lower the heat and cook for 30-35 minutes, turning often. When the chicken is golden brown and crispy, remove from the pan and drain on the brown paper bag. Place the cooked chicken on a cookie sheet and set it in the oven to keep warm, until all the chicken is cooked and ready to serve.
Mashed Potatoes
1 1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup whole milk, heated (more if necessary)
4 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a large stockpot, add the potatoes and cover them with cold water. Bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat to a slow boil for 15-20 minutes. If you stick a fork in one and it splits easily, they’re done.
Drain the potatoes in a colander. In a small saucepan, scald the milk — add the butter, salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
Place the “paddle” attachment on your standing mixer (or use a deep bowl with a hand-held-mixer). Add the drained potatoes and pulse until the potatoes are somewhat blended. Slowly add the milk mixture. Increase the speed to high and whip the potatoes until you achieve your desired consistency, adding more salt and pepper, to taste.
Creamed Corn
4 cups frozen white corn, thawed
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1-1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons scallions, sliced
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
In a deep skillet or saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the corn and sugar and sauté until the corn is light, golden brown.
In a bowl or jar, thoroughly combine the cream and cornstarch. Add to the corn and cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes. Add more cream if necessary.
Use an immersion blender to blend the corn — but not entirely. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to give the corn a creamy finish. Add the scallions and serve immediately.
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