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Whether it was fried, barbecued, or roasted, my grandmother loved chicken. She used to cook it atleast three times a week. For us, it was the only white meat. In her memory I'm writing down three of her best chicken recipes, so that you too can enjoy their succulent, southern flavored flare, that will hopefully delight your family as much as it did mine. I have included one recipe each of roasted(herb-roasted chicken with lemon grass), fried(buttermilk fried chicken), and baked/barbecued(oven-barbecued chicken) that are guaranteed to blow your taste buds away!ENJOY!
HERB-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH LEMON GRASS
Ingredients: 3-3 1/2 pound broiler-fryer chicken
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1 package(3 ounces) cream cheese,
softened
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh or 1
teaspoon of dried basil leaves
2 cups of cooked white rice
2 tablespoons of chopped, fresh
parsley
1 tablespoon of finely chopped lemon
grass
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Mix your rice, parsley, lemongrass and lemon peel in a bowl. Fill the wishbone area, of your broiler-fryer chicken, with the rice mixture. Fasten the neck skin to the back of the chicken with a skewer. Fold the wings across the back, with the tips touching each other. Next, fill the body cavity with the rest of your rice mixture. Now tie the drumsticks together, or skewer them to the tail. Place your chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Mix your cream cheese and basil in a bowl. Then, loosen the breast skin, from the breast, as far back as possible, without tearing the skin. Spread your basil-cream cheese mixture in between the breast and the skin, and then cover the breast up with the skin. Place chicken in your oven, on the rack, and roast, uncovered, from 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until drumstick is pulled out easily.
Makes enough servings for about 6, you might want to double the ingredients for this one.
BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN
Ingredients:1 cup of all-purpose flower
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
3-3 1/2 pound broiler-fryer chicken,
cut up
1 cup of buttermilk
vegetable oil
In a large bowl, mix your flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Take each piece of chicken and dip it in the buttermilk, then cover it completely in your flour mixture. Repeat the process for an added crispness. Heat the vegetable oil, to approximately 350-375 degrees F, in a 12-inch skillet(oil should be 1/4 inch deep). Place chicken in heated oil and cook for 10 minutes on one side, then turn and cook for 5 minutes on the other side. The skin of the chicken should now be lightly browned on both sides. Cover the pan tightly(if the pan can not be coverd tightly, add 1-2 tablespoons of water when the chicken is first placed in the pan), with a lid, and simmer for about 35 minutes, turning once or twice to ensure it is thoroughly done on both sides. The chicken is done when the juices run clear from the chicken, instead of a reddish color. Remove the cover during the last 5 minutes to increase crispness. This recipe also makes enough for six, because that was how many people lived in our house. This is the best fried chicken ever created. It is truely a representation of my grandmothers finest chicken, basic, but satisfying.
OVEN-BARBECUED CHICKEN
Ingredients:3-3 1/2 pound broiler-fryer chicken
3/4 cup of chili sauce
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon of prepared horseradish
1/2 of red pepper sauce
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Place your broiler-fryer chicken, skin up, in an ungreased rectangular pan(13x9x2). Mix all of your remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the entire contents of the bowl over your chicken, spreading the sauce evenly over the chicken. Cover the pan, with the chicken in it, with aluminum foil tightly. Bake it for approximately 30 minutes, then remove the foil and spoon sauce over the chicken. Finally, bake uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the juices run clear. Surprisingly enough this also makes enough for six helpings.
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