My biggest complaint about fried chicken is that all of the flavor ends up on the outside, and the meat is usually bland. Not my mama’s! The secret is in the prep. When you soak the chicken overnight in salt brine, the salt infuses into the meat and makes it so tasty! When I asked my mom how long to fry the chicken, she said, “Just cook it ’til it sounds right.” I have since fried enough chicken to completely understand this sentence, but at the time—you can imagine! As chicken begins to fry, it’s loud because of all the water cooking out into the fat. It gets quieter as it gets done. Who knew? Now you do!
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Milk Gravy
Preparation
Step 1
Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl and cover them with water. Sprinkle the salt in the water, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Step 2
Pour oil into an electric frying pan or deep, heavy skillet to a depth of 1 inch. Heat the oil to 375°F. (Check the temperature by sprinkling flour over the oil. If the flour sizzles, the oil is hot enough.)
Step 3
Drain the water from the chicken, sprinkle each piece with pepper, and coat the pieces with flour. Carefully place the chicken in the hot oil. Place the cover on the pan and open the vent to allow a small amount of steam to escape. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and, using tongs, turn each piece of chicken. Replace the cover and cook for 15 minutes more, or until done. Use a sharp, thin-bladed knife to check for doneness by slicing a drumstick to the bone. Neither the meat nor the juices should be pink. Drain the chicken on paper towels and keep warm while you make the gravy.
Step 4
Pour off all but 4 tablespoons of the oil from the pan in which the chicken was fried, leaving the bits of browned flour in the pan. Sprinkle in the 4 tablespoons flour. Stirring with a wire whisk, cook the flour and drippings until the flour is browned, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk and cook until the gravy thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 5
Pass the chicken and gravy separately.
From Gwen
Step 6
Milk makes the gravy rich and smooth.
