Adapted from:
Curtis Aikens, Southern Living
AUGUST 2002

If you've watched The Help, you know what I'm talking about. While watching Celia Foote take a bite of that crispylicious drumstick, you either thought I gotta have me some chicken or I gotta cook fried chicken. Either way, you know that you won't get that deep flavoured chicken by running to your nearest KFC. No offense Colonel Sanders, once in awhile, your chix do taste mighty good... but it does feel like quick fix, there's no depth in the flavours albeit boasting 11 herbs and spices... most of all... it's commercial... how much love can we get from it.

Southern cooking is all about soul cooking. You cook everything with love and passion and it'll transmute into comfort food even if it didn't cost you a dime.

Tip 1: Add cayenne pepper if you like your chix spicy
Tip 2: Fry your chix a minute or so less if you wanna keep the colour light. We kinda like caramelized edges and J is sooooo scared of blood and so longer frying makes everyone happy in my house :P

Wow, okay before my passion get the best of me... here are the ingredients:
6 chicken pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
300 ml buttermilk
1 cup self-raising flour
exta 1-1 1/2 tablespoon salt
exta 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
Vegetable Oil, enough to cover 1 1/2 inches of the pan
Good knob of butter

Directions:
Soak chicken in buttermilk for at least 12 hours, whole day if you can. Turning it now and again if chicken's not fully submerged.

In a re-sealable bag, combine flour, extra salt, extra ground black pepper, and other spices you want your chix to have. Shake the bag until all chicken are coated.

Heat your vegetable oil in a deep skillet, add a good size knob of butter and start frying your chicken.

I cooked all drumsticks and fried one side covered for 3 minutes, uncovered 2 minutes. Turned over to the other side, covered 2 minutes, uncovered 1 minute. Brown parts of chicken that's not yet golden.

Drained in a kitchen towel and rested for a a minute or two before serving.

Serve with buttermilk biscuit, mash potato, gravy,  rice or vegetables and enjoy your chicken the southern way.

Keep on cookin', keep on hummin'!

-Acoustic Chef - cookin' one tune at a time!

Again, it's one of those things that I would normally skip studying... it seems too much of an effort for a very little return... WRONG!

This was hilariously easy and boy oh boy oh boy, the return is massive!

I was at "my disneyland" (a.k.a. supermarket), poultry section when I happened to look below eye level, which obviously is really low as I'm a bit related to the 7 dwarfs.

There I saw these glorious chicken carcasses... alright "bones", happily waiving at me and everyone else, sort of begging for someone to take them. So I happily took 3 of them. At less that AED 4 for 700 grams, why should I skimp?! 

Tip 1: Take off the foam that comes to surface but don't skim the fat off the liquid. The fat will serve as protection for your stock from the bacteria present in air.
Tip 2: Remove the fat before using the stock.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 kilo chicken bones, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 celery, chopped
1 1/2 carrots, chopped
1 bouquet garni
Olive Oil
2 liters of cold water
2 teaspoons of salt
2 bay leaves

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large stock pot. Saute the onion until softened and slightly coloured, around 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

In 2 batches, brown chicken pieces on the pan for a bout 4-5 minutes. Return the onions to the pot. Add celery, carrots, salt to the pot with 2 liters of water. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to barely a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours. Skim off foam that comes to the surface.

Add bay leaves 5 minutes before finishing. Strain the stock.

If you'll be storing this for a longer time, 2 weeks to a month, reduce the stock a bit more, approximately another simmering hour to make it more concentrated.

To store:
Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. If you want to freeze it, divide it in half liter volume, it's easier to use this way, ensuring you only de-frost the one you'll be using.

-AcousticChef.... cookin' one tune at a time!

Something about this dish intimidates the heck out of me... must be the French in it...

Then I made it. It was ridiculously easy.

Tip 1: Get the big chicken portions, easier to pound and roll
Tip 2: Go easy on the salt, it's always easier to fix it less salted than oversalted
Tip 3: Use a cling film to cover your chicken before you pound it senseless

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast, boneless, skinless
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 slices Emmental cheese
4 slices sandwich ham
1/2 cup bread crumbs, seasoned
1 egg, lightly beaten

Cream Sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 sour cream
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your baking dish with a silicon mat or spray is with nonstick cooking spray.

Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper then place 1 ham and 1 cheese on top before rolling it up. Secure the roll with toothpick.

Coat each roll with egg wash before sprikling bread crumbs all over.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until it's no longer pink. Place 1/2 slice of cheese on top of each roll and return it to the oven until it's nicely melted.

In the meantime, cook your sauce by mixing cream of mushroom, sour cream and lemon in a saucepan. Set aside but keep warm.

Once rolls are cooked, remove the toothpicks and serve as a whole or as medallions topped with the Cream Sauce and white rice.

Happy Eating!

As I said before, Lemon Butter sauce is so versatile and you can use it with veggies, fish, or chicken.

This breaded chicken is easy and for mom's like me, recipes like this make life enjoyable. My kids love, love, love this and I was pleasantly surprise of how tasty this turned out to be.

Tip 1: If your crumbs aren't bought seasoned, just season it yourself. Just add to your 500 grams plain bread crumbs, 2 tbsp dried thyme, 2 tbsp dried parley, 1 tsp garlic powder (if you like it) and any other favourite herbs of yours!
Tip 2: I didn't have any of the herb in the sauce but these still tasted oh so good!

Ingredients for Breaded Chicken:
4 chicken breast, skinless and boneless
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Ingredients for Simpler version of Lemon-Butter Sauce
1 lemon, juiced
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp fresh chives or 1/2 tsp dried chives (optional)
1/2 tsp dried dill weed (optional)

Serves 4

Procedure:

Coat chicken with egg and then dip in crumbs. Place on a wire rack for 10 minutes to dry it out.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the chicken 2-3 minutes on each side. Immediately sprinkle grated parmesan top of thin parts the minute you flip it.

Sprinkle grated parmesan on top of thick parts just before you continue cooking it in the oven. 350F for 3-5 minutes while you keep the rest under a foil tent to keep warm.

While the oven is working, you can start your simple lemon-butter sauce.

Drain the grease from the skillet. Add the lemon juice on the pan and heat it until it boils. Add butter and stir until it's melted. Season with Chives, dill and salt.

Spoon the sauce over chicken and voila! Breaded chicken that is soooo soft and juicy, sauce that is tasty and tangy... a meal that will surely be a 'regular' in your monthly menu