All Fired Up! Put some Meat on your Bones!

Kickin’ Recipes

by Chef Brian Henry www.thespiceco.ca www.chefbrianhenry.com Owner of Angle Iron Kitchens & The Spice Co.

Chef Brian Henry

GETTING ALL FIRED UP!

FRIED CHICKEN

After the inconvenient adjustment to saving daylight, our eating habits begin to shift as we enter the darker months. We retreat into our homes in search of familiar creature comforts which often are only satiated by food.

PUT SOME MEAT ON YOU BONES!

It is also a time for us to dust off the slow cookers and dig out the Dutch ovens as we delve into heartier meals. The longer slow cooking processes of comfort foods build anticipation for the next meal as their aromas. We are genetically wired to seek out more caloriedense foods as food historically speaking was often scarce at best in winter and we sometimes need to put some meat on our bones for the cold weather ahead of us. Bones are full of minerals, mainly calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Connective tissue like tendons, ligaments, and cartilage is still attached to them which contain glucosamine. Bones are porous and transfer heat slowly which in turn slows down cooking times. The benefit to this is that meats will not cook as fast allowing the proteins to denature and relax which guarantees tender meat that is juicy and flavorful. The following recipe for southern fried chicken is a bone in comfort food that is easy to prepare and is best served with mashed potatoes, slaw, gravy some fresh baked rolls to ensure that your plate is clean when you’re done.

INGREDIENTS: 1 whole chicken 2 -3 pounds 3 eggs ½ cup butter milk 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/4tsp. powdered ginger A pinch of both salt and pepper Vegetable oil or peanut oil, for frying METHOD: Using a knife break the chicken down into smaller cuts and pat the pieces dry with paper towel to remove any moisture. Preheat your deep fryer to 350 °f and your oven to 200 °f. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk and set aside. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, garlic and ginger powders with salt and pepper.

Dip the chicken pieces one at a time into the egg mixture, then evenly coat them in the flour mixture and gently submerge them into your preheated fryer. Make sure each piece of chicken has plenty of space to cook in the fryer without touching anything. If necessary fry the chicken in small batches and transfer the cooked pieces using tongs or a slotted spoon onto a baking tray line with a roasting rack in your preheated oven. Fry the chicken until brown and crisp, about 10-12 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. More importantly you will need to ensure the chicken is cooked to a proper internal temperature of 74 °c / 165°f. This is best checked with a food thermometer.

The Spice Co. Owned by Chef Brian Henry

Doo Doo's Bakery with award winning Buttertarts