Chicken Fried With Cream Gravy

These days, chook-fried steak and chook-fried fowl have unfold a ways past the limits of Texas, and you'll see the latter on menus as both "chicken-fried bird" or "country-fried bird." The gravy is also served below a number of monikers. Cream gravy. White gravy. Sawmill gravy. usa gravy. anything you need to call it, that is stick-to-your-ribs united states cooking at its finest and maximum comforting.

I recall a day in university while a Texan buddy of mine changed into trying to educate me the basics of Texas delicacies. There had been a few matters, she said, that I needed to get right. Barbecued brisket. an amazing Texas-fashion barbecue sauce (none of that sweet Kansas town stuff, thank you). actual Texas-fashion chili (stroll far from the beans and tomatoes). And, of course, chicken-fried steak, and its cousin, chook-fried fowl.

With the aid of the latter, she intended thin bird cutlets marinated in a buttermilk-based brine, dredged in seasoned flour, deep-fried till golden and crisp, and served with a peppery white gravy.

INGREDIENTS

For the Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 ounces each), or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each), cut and pounded into 4 cutlets (see note)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 cups vegetable shortening or peanut oil, for frying

For the Cream Gravy:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the chicken: integrate the paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and blend thoroughly with a fork.
2. One by one, sandwich each piece of bird between two portions of plastic wrap or interior an opened zipper-lock bag and pound with a meat pounder or the lowest of a heavy skillet till approximately 1/4 inch thick.
3. Whisk the buttermilk, egg, 1 tablespoon salt, and a pair of tablespoons of the spice aggregate in a large bowl. add the chicken and turn to coat. switch the contents of the bowl to a gallon-sized zipper-lock freezer bag and refrigerate for at the least four hours and as much as in a single day, flipping the bag now and again to redistribute the contents and coat the hen flippantly.
4. For the Gravy: whilst prepared to fry the chook, make the gravy: heat the butter in a 10-inch heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium-excessive until foamy. add the onion and cook dinner until softened, approximately four mins (lower the heat if the butter begins to brown). add the garlic and cook, stirring, till fragrant, about 30 seconds. add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, till absolutely absorbed, about 1 minute. upload the milk in a skinny circulate, whisking continuously. add the cream, whisking, and produce to a simmer, whisking continuously. Simmer, whisking, until thickened, approximately three mins. Season to flavor with salt and plenty of pepper. hold warm at the same time as you fry the hen.
5. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and the remaining spice combination in a large bowl. add 3 tablespoons of the marinade from the zipper-lock bag and work it into the flour with your fingertips. cast off the chook from the bag, allowing the excess buttermilk to drip off. Drop the chicken into the flour mixture and toss and flip till very well covered, pressing together with your hand to get the flour to adhere in a thick layer. Shake the chicken over the bowl to eliminate excess flour, then transfer to a big plate.
6. Modify an oven rack to the center function and preheat the oven to a hundred seventy five°F. warmth the shortening or oil to 425°F in a wok or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high warmness, approximately 6 minutes. alter the warmth as essential to preserve the temperature, being careful not to let the fat get any warmer.
7. Carefully decrease 2 pieces of chook into the pan. modify the warmth to maintain the temperature at 325°F throughout cooking. Fry the fowl portions without transferring them for 2 minutes. carefully agitate the hen with a twine-mesh spider or tongs, making sure now not to knock off any breading, and cook dinner till the bottom is a deep golden brown, approximately three minutes. cautiously turn the fowl and retain to prepare dinner until the second one side is golden brown, about 2 mins longer.
8. Switch the chicken to a paper towel–coated plate to drain for 30 seconds, flipping once, then switch to a cord rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to the oven to preserve heat. Repeat with the final 2 portions of bird. Serve with the cream gravy.

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