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Mississippi Fried Chicken Turnovers

Source of Recipe

From "Southern Fried" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"Fried chicken turnovers are a popular appetizer (or main course) throughout the Deep South, but the best I ever tasted are these that my friend and neighbor Craig Claiborne's mother prepared when he was a child in Mississippi. The dough for the turnovers can be made with rendered chicken fat instead of butter, and the turnovers served with a creamed mushroom sauce in the old-fashioned tradition, but even I find these variations to be just too rich for modern appetites. If you prefer to serve the turnovers as a main course for four instead of an appetizer, cut the dough into 5- to 6-inch circles."

List of Ingredients

The dough:
â—¦ 2 cups sifted cake flour
â—¦ 2 teaspoons baking powder
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ 3 tablespoons butter (or chicken fat), softened
â—¦ ½ cup milk

The turnovers:
â—¦ 2 tablespoons butter
â—¦ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 ½ cups half-and-half
â—¦ 2 large egg yolks, beaten
â—¦ â…› teaspoon grated nutmeg
â—¦ ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
â—¦ 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken
â—¦ Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
â—¦ Corn oil for deep frying


Recipe

To make the dough, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and stir till well blended. Add the butter and blend with a pastry blender till the mixture is mealy. Gradually add the milk, stir till the dough is soft and workable, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.

To make the turnovers, melt the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat, add the flour, and whisk till well blended, about 1 minute. Whisking rapidly, add the half-and-half and whisk till well blended. Still whisking rapidly, pour a little of the hot sauce into the eggs, then return this mixture to the remaining sauce, whisking constantly. Add the nutmeg, Worcestershire, chicken, and salt and pepper, stir till well blended, and remove from the heat.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out about â…› inch thick. Cut the dough into circles about 4 inches in diameter, spoon equal amounts of the filling into the centers, and fold the dough over to form crescents and enclose the filling. Press the edges securely to seal them.

In a deep fryer or large, deep skillet, heat about 2 inches of oil to 365° F on a deep-fat thermometer and fry the turnovers in batches till golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Makes 6 appetizer servings