Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Not your mama's fried chicken

This past Sunday I helped Rebecca with her Fried Chicken Hands-On class at Cook’s Warehouse in Decatur. We showed three different methods of preparing fried chicken, a quick biscuit recipe, and a tomato gravy demonstration.

We deep-fried Mary Mac’s Tea Room’s chicken and also a Cajun spiced chicken. But, pan-fried her grandmother, Tom’s, chicken in Crisco. The sounds of popping oil and the smell of grease were enough to make mouths water and stomachs growl. The biscuits were prepared in less than 25 minutes and turned out golden brown and quite fluffy. She served those with a creamy tomato gravy that took less than 10 minutes to whip up. Rebecca’s new book, Quick Fix Southern, really takes the time and inconvenience out of traditional Southern cooking.

A unique serving technique is to top the Cajun fried chicken with garlic and a pickle. The flavors work together surprisingly well to create a unique fried-chicken experience.

Rebecca also shared some very interesting tips with the group. An easy way to mince your garlic, is to place a peeled and crushed garlic clove in between plastic wrap and then smash it with a meat mallet, its quick and leaves no mess! My favorite tip of the day was to serve fried chicken with champagne. The fattiness from the chicken can coat your pallet and prevent you from experiencing that “first bite taste” again and again. Champagne helps to clean the pallet and refresh your taste buds so that each bite is memorable and delicious. But, even without champagne, we all know fried chicken will be scrumptious no matter what!

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