Chicken Fried Chicken w/ Cream Gravy

[The Big Pig]

Chicken Fried Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
• 3 C Flour
• 1 TSP Baking Powder
• 1 TSP Baking Soda
• 2 Eggs
• 1 C Buttermilk
• Half and Half (substitute with milk)
• Salt, Pepper, and other seasonings to taste

Directions
Fill cast iron skillet half way with cooking oil (I used peanut oil). Heat oil to 325F. Heat oven to 275F.

In a large bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, baking powder, and baking soda. Place flour in a large plate or tray.

Trim fat and loose pieces from chicken breasts. Use a meat tenderizer and flatten/tenderize breast to uniform thickness.

Season raw breasts with salt, pepper, and any other chicken seasoning you like (I used Todd's Dirt).

Dredge a seasoned breast in the flour. Make sure and coat entire breast. Then take the breast and dip it in the egg wash and then dredge again in the flour. Pat flour on until evenly coated.

Carefully place the breaded breast in the cooking oil. If your skillet is large enough, repeat the dredging process with the second breast and place in in the skillet as well.

Fry each breast for 2-3 minutes and carefully flip. Once the fried chicken has the desired color (golden brown), remove and drain on paper towels. Turn the burner under the skillet off and let the oil start cooling. Check the internal temperature. Depending on the thickness of the breasts and the temperature of the oil, it will probably be somewhere around 130-140F. Place the fried breasts on a cooking sheet and then into the oven to finish. The chicken fried chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165F.

Carefully skim or drain most of the oil out of the skillet. Be careful not to disturb or remove the good stuff at the bottom of the pan. Add about 1 1/2 C Half and Half to the skillet. Add salt and pepper to to taste. Add 1 TBSP flour to thicken. Whisk vigorously to mix the gravy.

This dish is best served with mashed potatoes.

[Petite]

ill try that one paul!! any tips on a cast iron skillet and seasoning it? T tried to season some cast iron we got for a wedding present and i think she F'd it up bad. she tried to use a healthy type of oil and the whole pan is just very sticky.... not sure if thats what was supposed to happen or not.

also what does the todd's dirt add? some spicy zest like your at Strouds and can it be found at a reg grocery store?

[The Big Pig]

The good news is that you can't ruin cast iron. Wash it out with hot soap and water. Then use a brillo pad, sand paper, wire wheel etc. to clean out the pan best you can. You can even bake the sucker at 700F to burn off that sticky residue (but that will stink up your house).

Once the pan is clean, rub a light coat of peanut oil or lard over the entire pan, both inside and outside. There is no reason to use a "healthy" oil for this as you are not going to consume it. Use your fingers to rub the oil/lard thoroughly on the surface. You want complete but thin coverage. Then bake the pan at 350F for a couple of hours. It should not be sticky. Your seasoning oil should carmelize on the surface and provide a good "non-stick" surface to work with. If it's sticky when you take it out of the oven, bake it longer. You may also need to apply a second coat.

As far as I know, Todd's Dirt is only available on-line. Do yourself a favor and order a couple of bottles.

[Petite]

sweet, thanks BP

ill let you know how the seasoning works out

[LuckyDawg]

that gravey's great

[Pigasus BBQ]

Well it sure does look good going to have to try that recipe for sure

[expatpig]

Great recipe, I modified it a bit though, after the egg-buttermilk dip, I took a sleeve of regular saltines, ran them through the food processor and dredged the chicken in in it. It made for a nice crispy coating.

[BrooklynQ]

Now take it easy on this Yankee - but is chicken fried chicken only done with chicken breasts? What makes it different than fried chicken?

[expatpig]

Chickenfried chicken is a take-off of chickenfried steak which is a comfort food staple throughout the southern USofA.

[shristychandran]

mmm that images just looks so great, i dont have a choice other than to cook it for evening