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Country Pan Fried Chicken

Source of Recipe

From "Fried & True" by Lee Schrager


Recipe Introduction

"'I've been making fried chicken since I was nine or ten,' said Charles Gabriel, owner of Charles' Country Pan Fried Chicken, as he kept watch over the largest cast-iron skillet we'd ever seen. When frying his birds, Gabriel morphs into a human rotisserie, constantly rotating the pieces with tongs and demonstrating an innate understanding of the microclimates that exist within the high sides of the skillet. With his starched chef's jacket and chef's toque�not to mention his considerable girth and height�this Charles is most certainly in charge, spending several hours a day personally buying produce for the made-in-house sides including corn bread, collards, and candied yams. But in the end the star is still the chicken, which establishes the perfect balance between levity and crunch."

List of Ingredients

◦ 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
◦ 1 tablespoon kosher salt
◦ � teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
◦ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
◦ Soybean or canola oil, for frying
◦ 2 cups whole milk
◦ 3 large eggs
◦ 2 cups all-purpose flour


Recipe

In a bowl or Ziploc bag, season the chicken with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cover or seal and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.

Pour 1 inch oil into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and heat until a pinch of flour sizzles upon contact (355� to 360� F). Set a rack over a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. In a bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. Place the flour in a separate bowl. Dip the chicken in the egg wash, drain off the excess, then dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess.

Place the chicken, skin side down, in the skillet and fry in batches for 3 minutes without moving. Continue to fry, turning the chicken every 1 to 2 minutes to ensure even browning and cooking, until the chicken is cooked through, 13 to 15 minutes. Drain on the rack and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Serves 4






❧ Candied Yams:

◦ 4 pounds yams, preferably the larger, light orange-skinned variety (3 or 4 yams), scrubbed
◦ 2 cups sugar
◦ � orange
◦ 2 cinnamon sticks
◦ � teaspoon kosher salt
◦ 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed, plus more for greasing

In a large, heavy pot, cover the yams with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender but not falling apart, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat, cool the yams, remove the skins, and dice into �-inch pieces. In a saucepan, combine 4 cups water with the sugar, orange, cinnamon sticks, and salt. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until a thick, but still pourable, syrup forms, 35 to 37 minutes. Remove the orange and cinnamon sticks.

Preheat the oven to 350� F. Generously butter the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the diced yams in the dish. Carefully pour the syrup on top of the yams, then top with the cubes of butter. Bake until the syrup has been absorbed and the top edges are slightly browned, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Serves 6