Time for an old fashioned Fried Chicken Dinner!

I don't know why making a fried chicken dinner is reserved for Sundays, I guess because of the time it takes?  In my effort to loose some fat from my diet I don't make it often anymore or much of any fried foods, much to my families dismay.  As tasty as fried foods are, I just don't need the extra calories and fat. So I save these tasty treats for cravings I just can't say no too!

That's what happened a week ago, the craving for some good old fried chicken forced itself upon me, I think I may have been watching Paula Deen when this craving hit!  I had a whole chicken in the freezer, so I took it out the night before and started the defrosting process, step one done!  Now what else do I make to go with the chicken. Well with fried chicken you (at least I do) have to have mashed potato's and milk gravy, that takes care of the starch of the meal.  Now what about a vegetable?  Feeling a little nostalgic I decided to get some fresh green beans and make them the way my Grampa Dill taught me too. I have some tasty watermelon in the fridge so I think some nice cool slices of it  will serve as the salad - nice and lite and cool on a warm summer night.

With my chicken completely defrosted, I remove it from it's packaging, remove all that "stuff" inside the cavity and gave it a good rinse.  I had it cut into pieces before I realized that maybe I should have taken pics of that process because I really don't think that many people know how to do this step anymore. Oh well there's always a next time. OK on to the process of frying up some chicken!  After the chicken's rinsed and cut up, I lay it out on my cutting board and season it up on the skin side with some salt, black pepper, onion and garlic powder. 

In a shallow bowl I mix up about 1 cup of Flour, 1 T Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Salt, 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, and 1/2 tsp Paprika, mix these all together well. I then coat the chicken in this flour mixture, place it on a cooking sheet and let it rest. 

While the chicken rest I get my frying oil ready.  In a large deep sided frying pan I place a mix of shortening and canola oil to make enough frying oil about 1 inch deep in the pan.  Once the oil is ready to fry in - about 350 degrees, I dip the chicken back into the flour mixture, shaking off any excess and "carefully" place it in the hot frying oil, being careful not to over crowd the pan -- reserving the flour mixture. I generally fry on each side for about 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the piece.

When the chicken is cooked I place it in an oven-proof dish and place it in the oven that's been set on the lowest temp to stay warm.

The next best thing about a Fried Chicken Dinner is mashed potato's and milk gravy!  I won't bore you with explaining how to make mashed potato's, if you need instructions let me know and I'll be happy to share my knowledge! But the MILK GRAVY is what I want to talk about!!!! This has got to be one of the best things I ever learned to make and is such a memory from my childhood.  To make this delicious gravy you need to do just a few simple steps.  After removing the last piece of chicken, turn the burner off, let the oil cool down slightly, carefully pour all but about 3 or 4 T of the oil out of the pan - leaving those tasty crispies in the pan, I have a heat proof can I use to collect my "fry" oil or do whatever you want with it. DON'T pour it down your sink - bad for the drain and pipes.  Return the pan to the burner and turn the heat up to med-hi, add the remaining seasoned flour mixture reserved from coating the chicken. 

Stir the flour into the oil. scraping the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan - these little cooked bits and pieces are pure flavor! Add 1 T of butter (yes I know), continue stirring this mixture and cooking the "raw" flavor out of the flour.  The butter just adds a great flavor and a silkiness to the texture.

After cooking for a few minutes slowly start pouring in milk about 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until you have the thickness you desire.  I like my gravy thick, so I probably only add about 3 cups of milk, no I don't measure the amount of milk, it's all by look and texture.  Once I have the consistency that I want, I taste for seasoning.  Since the flour already had seasonings in it I usually just add a little more Salt and Pepper.

A great side dish for this is fresh green beans and ONLY my Grampa Dill's recipe will do!  I start these before I the chicken so the beans have time to cook.  I hand picked fresh green beans at the grocery store, snapped the ends off and rinsed them well.

As per my Grampa Dill's instructions when I was about 8, in a 2 quart sauce pan, place about 2 or 3 T bacon grease (yep) about 1/4 cup chopped  onion, cook for a few minutes until the onion starts to become transparent. "I" at this point add 2 cloves of finely minced garlic, cook for a few more minutes.  Next add about 2 slices of bacon (yep yep) sliced in thin pieces, cook till almost done, but not crispy. 

Add the cleaned and rinsed green beans, toss the beans around in the onion, garlic and bacon mixture, add just enough water to just cover the beans.  Sprinkle with a touch of salt and some black pepper, cover and set the heat on simmer and let the beans cook.

Now get those Tater's mashed, beans drained and a plate on the table, it's time for some Sunday Fried Chicken Dinner!  Dang now I'm craving fried chicken again.