The American Favorites section is where we have placed recipes for dishes that have become American favorites; these recipes are for foods that are enjoyed by many people throughout this great country of ours. In this particular section, I won't assign a specific part of the country as being the origin of the recipe.
At the bottom of this page, you will have an opportunity to E-mail us and give us your thoughts on this page. We encourage this. After all, we will be tailoring this "Cooking Around the World" series according to the wishes of our viewers.
A 2½-pound frying chicken, cut into 1 c flour
serving pieces 1 c lard, or ½ c vegetable short-
Salt ening combined with ½ c lard
------------------------------
Wash the chicken pieces under cold running water and pat them thoroughly
dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the pieces with salt on all sides. Put the
cup of flour in a sturdy paper bag. Drop the chicken into the bag a few
pieces at a time and shake the bag until each piece is thoroughly coated
with flour. Remove the chicken pieces from the bag and vigorously shake them
free of all excess flour. Lay them side by side on a sheet of wax paper.
Preheat the oven to 200° and in the middle of the oven place a shallow baking
dish.Over high heat melt the lard or combined lard and shortening in a 10- or 12-inch heavy skillet. The fat should be ¼-inch deep. If it is not, add a little more. When a light haze forms above it, add the chicken pieces, starting them skin side down. It is preferable to begin frying the legs and thighs first, since they will take longer to cook than the breasts and wings. Cover the pan and fry the chicken over moderate heat for about 6 to 8 minutes, checking every now and then to make sure the chicken does not burn. When the pieces are deep brown on one side, turn them over and cover the pan again. Transfer the finished chicken to the baking dish in the oven and continue frying until all the pieces are cooked. Keep the chicken warm in the oven while you make the gravy.
Cream Gravy
2 T flour ½ to ¾ c light cream
¾ c chicken stock, fresh or Salt
canned White pepper
---------------------
Pour off all but 2 T of fat in the frying pan. Add 2 T of flour, and
stir until the fat and flour are well combined. Pour in the chicken stock
and ½ c of the light cream, and cook over moderate heat, beating with a
whisk until the gravy is smooth and thick. If it is too thick for your
taste, stir in the remaining cream to thin it. Strain it through a fine
sieve if you wish. Taste for seasoning, then pour into a heated gravy boat
and serve with the fried chicken arranged attractively on a heated serving
platter. Serves 4.
