Home Style Southern Fried Chicken.

Chicken with home-made dirty rice. I was feeling my inner Bojangles.

Fried chicken. I love it. It's probably one of the most popular meals in North America. Everyone has their own recipes and methods for making it, and they all stand by it. My recipe? It's taken a long time to get it to the way it comes out now - crispy, juicy, and deep with flavor. I also use a deep fryer at 375°. You may prefer to use a pan or air fryer. This will work with a pan (preferably cast iron) but you will probably have to finish it in the oven. Never tried an air fryer, but because it's double dredged, not sure how it'll turn out. If it works for you, let me know.

 Are all the ingredients conventional? No.But they all work together. I'm sure you will agree. 

You will need (for a club pack of chicken parts or one prepared bird):

First dredge:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

Wash:

1-2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup water

Primary dredge:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup biscuit (such as Bisquick) mix

1/2 cup cornstarch

3 tsp. seasoned salt

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. onion powder

2 tsp. smoked paprika (or regular paprika, if you don't have smoked)

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. crushed rosemary (mortar and pestle or spice grinder will work)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 packet onion soup mix

1 tbsp. either Montreal Chicken seasoning or Spicy Pepper Medley

1 tsp. or to taste cayenne*  - optional

For frying - canola oil

(*if you're looking for a flavor something like Bojangles or Popeye's.)

Dredges and wash lined up assembly line style.

Mix the dredges and wash in their own respective bowls. Set up a line to load the fryer. With the primary dredge, only put about half into the line bowl at first, as you may not need it all and can save it for the next batch. Heat up the oil and lower the basket (the chicken tends to stick to the wire otherwise.)

The ol' beast... oil is heating up.

Dredge the chicken in the first dredge, cover it with wash, and then through the final dredge. Ease each piece into the hot oil. Don't overload the batch - it'll drive the oil temperature down and could make the skin greasy and prevent it from crisping up.

  

First batch out of the fryer!

There's debate over determining when chicken is done. My general rule is: if it's floating, let it go for another minute or two, then rack it and drain it. Put your oven on warm and continue until all your batches are complete. Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

Lime Chicken Enchiladas.

Lime chicken enchiladas - a new twist to something great. Best part-
you can make some to freeze and bake anytime!

Well, I already put out some of the things you need to make this. Now let's get down to, shall we? I usually use the larger tortillas, and flour at that. Just a personal preference. Just the same, once you have tried these, you will never want to have enchiladas any other way!

You'll need:

6 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, and cut into small cubes

juice of one lime

1/2 cup of white wine

sprig of crushed rosemary

4-5 sage leaves, crushed

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. kosher salt

3 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro

3 cups colby or pepper jack cheese shredded

1/2 cup chopped green onion
20 large tortillas

Quick Enchilada Rice

My Smoky Enchilada Sauce

also: olive oil

In a non reactive bowl, mix lime juice, wine, rosemary, cliantro, sage, salt, and half the garlic. Add the chicken, let marinate for at least an hour.

Heat oil in a pan until nearly smoking, add garlic. Drain marinade from chicken and add to pan; cook through. Add chicken to enchilada rice mix, set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a lasagna pan. Take a tortilla, spread a little sauce on it, and add filling and cheese. Roll tightly and place in pan, seam down. Continue until you run out of filling.

Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce. Spread cheese over top, garnish with green onion, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is thoroughly melted. Let rest for about ten minutes before serving.

Chicken Arrabiata Penne.

Chicken Arrabiata Penne. Nom.

This is an easy recipe for chicken breasts. It's a garlic lover's treat, and is ready in about an hour!

You'll need:

4 chicken breast cutlets, pounded flat

6-7 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1 bunch of chopped basil

1 tsp of hot sauce

3tbsp chopped cooked bacon

10 sliced grape tomatoes (I use Marzano)

1 can (28 oz) garlic and olive oil diced tomatoes

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine

olive oil

for the coating:

2 eggs

1 cup milk

3 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp pepper

1tsp salt

12 oz package of penne

Heat some olive oil in a deep pan, but not to smoking. Toss in garlic and sautee until fragrant, about one to two minutes. Add bacon and stir, then add the crushed and diced tomatoes. Let simmer a few minutes and add sliced tomatoes, hot sauce, wine, and basil. Let simmer for a while, adding a little chicken stock if it reduces too much.

Mix the egg and milk together in a shallow bowl and set aside. In a large freezer bag, mix garlic powder, pepper, salt, and flour thoroughly.

Put on a pot of water to boil for the penne (add a generous pinch of salt.) Cook penne, Drain.

In a second pan, heat more oil. Put each cutlet in eggwash and dredge in flour mixture, then brown for 3-5 minutes at medium heat. Remove and place on cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes, slice, then put into sauce. Remove from heat let sit for a few minutes, then mix with penne in pot.

Garnish with a couple of spinach leaves and enjoy!

Total time: approx. 1hr

Chicken Saltimbocca... my way.

Chicken Saltimbocca with tomato cream sauce on a bed of linguine.

Been awhile... up till now, I haven't posted much in the way of Italian cooking, mostly because I kinda keep the recipes close to the vest. But this one is a new one - and I absolutely love it. You will too.
Saltimbocca literally means "jumps in the mouth." The complex combination of flavors guarantees that.

You'll need:
6 chicken breasts, pounded even and flat (about 1/4 to 1/2")
6 slices smoked prosciutto
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
6 large sage leaves
15 small sage leaves
2-3 Roma (plum) tomatoes
1/2 cup crushed tomato
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
5 roasted garlic cloves
juice of 1/2 lemon
1tbsp garlic butter (available at most grocery stores)
1 pkg thawed frozen spinach or bag of baby spinach leaves, stems cut off (I prefer leaves  - layers better)
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup heavy cream
sea salt
coarse ground black pepper

Also - Linguine.

In a small pan, heat olive oil. Once hot (but not to smoking) drop in all of the small sage leaves. They will flip on their own - don't fry them for longer than 1 minute. Remove leaves and place on a paper towel to drain.
Lay out the chicken breasts - one at a time or altogether, if you have the space. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper. On each breast place a slice of prosciutto. Place one large sage leaf on the prosciutto. Lay out a thin layer of spinach over the prosciutto, followed by the parmigiano. Roll each breast from the narrow end forward, jelly roll style, and secure with a toothpick.
Start a pot to boil for the pasta - remember to add salt.
Heat a large pan and add the olive oil (that you fried the sage leaves in) and the butter. Once hot, place the breasts in the pan, browning for 2-4 minutes on each side.
During this, take the bowl with the chopped tomatoes and press the roasted garlic cloves into them. Add the lemon juice as well and set it aside.
Add pasta to pot - cook to al dente - store in a colander over hot water in a covered pot.
After the chicken has browned, remove and set aside. Add wine to pan to deglaze. Once deglazed, add chicken broth, tomato mixture, and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for ten minutes, reducing mixture. Add cream, simmer for another ten minutes. add chicken and cook through - about another eight to ten minutes. While it cooks, constantly spoon sauce over chicken.
Place a bed of the linguine in a shallow pasta bowl. Place the saltimbocca on top, ladle on sauce, and garnish with fried sage leaves.

Main... Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Roast with Bacon Gravy

The finished product, with herb roasted potatoes.

This recipe is loosely based on a couple of others. I'll also provide the herb roasted potato recipe, but that's another post. Note: I use a convection oven that has convection roast, but the recipe will use the same temperature. Just keep an eye on the bacon. This is also where a fork temperature probe comes in handy. The pork loin can also be substituted with a beef tenderloin, but you'll have to keep a closer eye on temperature and quick broil the bacon when it gets close to the temperature you want. 

All said, this is an amazing dinner recipe. Not hard to make, and absolutely delicious! The bacon gravy is also wonderful on fries or in poutine.

Marinade:
1/2 cup blackberries, crushed and seeded (seedless blackberry jam is acceptable - about 5 tbsp.)
1/4 cup white wine (Sauvignon Blanc, brand not important)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
6 cloves of garlic, crushed

Roast:
2 pork tenderloins
1 lb. thin sliced bacon

Bacon Gravy: 
3 cups chicken broth
3 tbsp. corn starch
1/4 cup water

Mix marinade ingredients. Place tenderloins in a freezer bag, add marinade and refrigerate for at least two hours (the longer the better.)

Preheat oven to 325° (roast setting, if you have it.)

Overlap the bacon so that it holds the marinade and moisture better.

Remove the loins from the bag and place at the end closest to you. To make them roll even, place the thicker part of each loin at opposite ends. Place some (about 2 tbsp.) of the marinade between the loins. Slowly lift the ends of the bacon and roll the roast, ensuring that the opposite end of the bacon is beneath the roast when you're done rolling.

It should look like this when you're done.

Put the roast on a rack in a roasting pan and place in the oven. Roast, uncovered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. As the bacon appears finished, the loins may well be too. Insert the probe at the thickest point. It should read at least 145°F (73°C). Let the roast rest on the cutting board.

Resting nicely.

Remove rack from the pan while hot and add some of the chicken stock. Using a wooden spoon, use the stock to remove the drippings (including the dark chunks - this is where all the flavor is!) Pour the drippings mixture into a small pot. 

Add the remaining stock and cook at medium high. To break down any bacon chunks, you can use an immersion blender while it heats. Mix the water and cornstarch together.

As the gravy begins to bubble, stir in the cornstarch, a little at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. Remove from heat.

Slice the roast into desired serving size and spoon gravy onto the roast. Serve with herb roasted potatoes (recipe coming!) and choice of veggie. Enjoy!