FriedChick

Buttermilk Biscuits 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup cake flour 4 TB butter (1/2 stick) 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp double-acting baking powder 1 TB sugar 3/4 cup buttermilk plus a possible additional 2 to 3 tablespoons Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sift the two flours with the salt, sugar and baking powder. (This is one recipe where you still need to sift) Cut the cold butter into small pieces and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender. Add the 3/4 cup buttermilk and stir just to moisten. If the mixture is too dry to come together, add additional buttermilk, a tablespoon at a time until the dough balls. Knead the dough 6 to 7 times or until smooth. Roll or pat the dough out on a lightly floured board and cut with a sharp metal biscuit cutter. The biscuits should be 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick. Place the biscuits on an ungreased pan or in a pie tin and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 10 tall biscuits. Fried Chicken Dredging flour Put 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour into a plastic bag. Add 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning, 1 tsp kosher salt, tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp paprika and toss to mix.

Carefully wash a 3 1/2-pound Foster Farms or similar quality chicken or 2 of those lovely little split 2-plus-pound broilers and pat dry. (I bought the cheaper brand of chicken once and it was nasty) Cut each bird into 8 serving pieces. Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for 30 minutes.

Heat corn or vegetable oil in a large skillet until it reaches 360 degrees. The oil should be about 3/4 inch deep in the pan.

Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and shake lightly to remove excess buttermilk. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, a few pieces at a time and place in the hot oil, skin side down. Cook over medium high heat until the chicken is a mahogany brown and turn over and brown the other side. Check for doneness by making a small cut in the thigh to see that the juice is running clear. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm. Reserve the dredging mixture and the crispy bits left in the skillet to make the gravy. Cream Gravy 1 14 oz. can chicken broth 1 tsp Bell’s poultry seasoning 1 cup milk salt and pepper to taste Drain the oil from the skillet, leaving about 3 tablespoons of oil and all the crispy bits in the pan. Add 3 rounded tablespoons of the dredging mixture to the oil and slowly sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth and the Bell’s seasoning to the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Add the milk and reduce until the gravy is the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken and gravy with mashed potatoes, baby peas and biscuits. White Lily is available at www.whitelily.com. A 5-pound bag is $2 plus shipping.


	Fried Chicken
When we lived in Atlanta, I learned that there are two kinds of women in this world: those that dropped their biscuits and those who rolled them. There appeared to be a certain subtle smugness to those who took the trouble to roll them out. Perhaps even a certain righteousness that they who rolled were used to doing things the right way. I will tell you that them that dropped were a lot more fun to be with. The classic Southern biscuit is made with White Lily self-rising flour, Crisco and either sweet milk or buttermilk. White Lily is made with soft, red, winter wheat and sifted through silk screens. It is unavailable on the West Coast except through the Internet. It makes a feathery light biscuit because its gluten content is low. That same gluten that is so desirable when making yeast breads is your enemy for biscuits. The following recipe has a bit more flavor than the Southern classic and now that nutritionists tell us that Crisco is less healthy than butter, I’ll use butter and enjoy the extra flavor. These biscuits are very light and if you add an additional three tablespoons of sugar to the recipe are delicious for shortcake and berries. Sue Kleber		Buttermilk Biscuits 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup cake flour 4 TB butter (1/2 stick) 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp double-acting baking powder 1 TB sugar 3/4 cup buttermilk plus a possible additional 2 to 3 tablespoons Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sift the two flours with the salt, sugar and baking powder. (This is one recipe where you still need to sift) Cut the cold butter into small pieces and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender. Add the 3/4 cup buttermilk and stir just to moisten. If the mixture is too dry to come together, add additional buttermilk, a tablespoon at a time until the dough balls. Knead the dough 6 to 7 times or until smooth. Roll or pat the dough out on a lightly floured board and cut with a sharp metal biscuit cutter. The biscuits should be 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick. Place the biscuits on an ungreased pan or in a pie tin and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 10 tall biscuits. Fried Chicken Dredging flour Put 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour into a plastic bag. Add 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning, 1 tsp kosher salt, tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp paprika and toss to mix. `Carefully wash a 3 1/2-pound Foster Farms or similar quality chicken or 2 of those lovely little split 2-plus-pound broilers and pat dry. (I bought the cheaper brand of chicken once and it was nasty) Cut each bird into 8 serving pieces. Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for 30 minutes.` `Heat corn or vegetable oil in a large skillet until it reaches 360 degrees. The oil should be about 3/4 inch deep in the pan.` Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and shake lightly to remove excess buttermilk. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, a few pieces at a time and place in the hot oil, skin side down. Cook over medium high heat until the chicken is a mahogany brown and turn over and brown the other side. Check for doneness by making a small cut in the thigh to see that the juice is running clear. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm. Reserve the dredging mixture and the crispy bits left in the skillet to make the gravy. Cream Gravy 1 14 oz. can chicken broth 1 tsp Bell’s poultry seasoning 1 cup milk salt and pepper to taste Drain the oil from the skillet, leaving about 3 tablespoons of oil and all the crispy bits in the pan. Add 3 rounded tablespoons of the dredging mixture to the oil and slowly sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth and the Bell’s seasoning to the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Add the milk and reduce until the gravy is the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken and gravy with mashed potatoes, baby peas and biscuits. White Lily is available at www.whitelily.com. A 5-pound bag is $2 plus shipping.
Courtesy of: Real Estate & Living www.somocorealestate.com