It’s no secret that I grew up in South Carolina, okay, yes my parents were yankees, but there are just some things that come with growing up in the southeast. One of those things is that I eat grits, I love them, anytime of the day. However they can’t just be those 15 minute instant [...]]]>

It’s no secret that I grew up in South Carolina, okay, yes my parents were yankees, but there are just some things that come with growing up in the southeast. One of those things is that I eat grits, I love them, anytime of the day. However they can’t just be those 15 minute instant kind of grits (truth be told I’m not sure that this is not the true start of the civil war), but real grits, the kind that take time, love, and when done right, just melt in your mouth.  Hit the link for more on grits.

Grits are a course ground, corn-based, Native American food that are traditionally stone milled. Grits are a by-product of the production of corn meal, they are the coarser bits of corn that are left after being passed through screens to make the meal. Similar to Polenta, a boiled porridge made from the corn meal, the grit was originally a peasant food that has recently become a main stay in some of the countries most prestigious tables. Your modern store bought dried polenta can be substituted in almost any recipe when grits are called for, they will be closest to yellow grits, not the white grits that come to mind with you think of woman named Flo slopping them on your plate at six o’clock in the morning at a truck stop diner.

Having lived in Charleston, SC, for many years I’ve learned that the Holy City is also effectionatly called the buckle of the grit belt, an area that spans from Texas to Virginia. In Charleston people do take their grits very seriously to say the least. Currently, I’m using the yellow and the white stone ground grits by Charleston Favorites, available at Foodforthesouthernsoul.com, these are a course ground grit from Rockland Plantation. They have a wonderful speckled colouring due to the natural process by which they are milled. The stone-burr milling provides more texture to the grit creating both small and larger pieces, than your mega mart variety, this texture also gives you a rather complex taste in your final dish.

Now I must be honest here, after a few trials I’ve discovered that the recipe for Charleston grits on the back of the Charleston Favorites bag is better than the one I had grown up with.  It even works with other lesser brands of grits, but buyer beware, there is nothing like a good quality grit. So, here is their recipe, its wonderful…

Charleston Creamy Grits:

Combine 1 1/4 cups of rinsed grits with 3 cups of boiling water, 2 cups of cream, and 2 cups of milk.  Continue to simmer and stir frequently for 20-30 minutes while adding 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 lb. butter. Enjoy!

Sometimes your friends bring you food, sometimes its good, other times not so much… When my friend Liza brought her zucchini bread into work, this was a case were it was excellent!  I had to have the recipe, and with a few minor tweaks I give it to you… The Ultimate Zucchini Bread after the jump.

Zucchini Bread: 3 [...]]]>

Sometimes your friends bring you food, sometimes its good, other times not so much… When my friend Liza brought her zucchini bread into work, this was a case were it was excellent!  I had to have the recipe, and with a few minor tweaks I give it to you… The Ultimate Zucchini Bread after the jump.

Zucchini Bread:
3 cups AP Flour (I like King Arthur unbleached)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (fresh ground if possible)
2 cups sugar
1 cup olive oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven for 350F. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Then add oil, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, mix well.  Add zucchini and nuts last. Bake in 2 greased 9×5 pans for 1 hour 20 min.  You can make this in mini pans or muffin tins if you like, you just have to adjust the cooking time accordingly.  Serve with whipped honey and butter… YUM!

After being told on many occasions by Katt that the barbecue sauce I was using was wrong (it was ketchup based) I started to believe she may be right.  Don’t get me wrong I still like my red BBQ sauce but Katt won’t go near the stuff.  This sent me on a journey to make [...]]]>

After being told on many occasions by Katt that the barbecue sauce I was using was wrong (it was ketchup based) I started to believe she may be right.  Don’t get me wrong I still like my red BBQ sauce but Katt won’t go near the stuff.  This sent me on a journey to make some homemade Carolina style BBQ sauce since in the Chicagoland area there just isn’t any to come by.  After several weeks of trying, some hits and some misses, I finally came up with a sauce that is my Yankee interpretation of a mustard based Carolina style BBQ sauce.  I am calling this sauce round 1 since I think there is still room for improvement but this is a good start.  Hit the jump for the recipe.

Mustard Based BBQ Sauce:
3 cups of yellow mustard
6 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup tightly packed brown sugar
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

In a sauce pan over medium high heat combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook until all ingredients are well incorporated, about 5 minutes.  Let sauce cool before using and keep leftover sauce refrigerated.

Long before the Italians started what most people now associate with, and Starbucks tries to pass off as, coffee, the Arabs roasted and brewed coffee in a manner that has not changed much since the 16th century.  To those in the west this brew is know as Turkish Coffee, in Turkey and the Middle East [...]]]>

Long before the Italians started what most people now associate with, and Starbucks tries to pass off as, coffee, the Arabs roasted and brewed coffee in a manner that has not changed much since the 16^th century.  To those in the west this brew is know as Turkish Coffee, in Turkey and the Middle East however it is simply known as kahve which originates from the Arabic word for ‘coffee’.  The unique brewing style used requires just a couple of pieces of equipment and some coffee and the resulting, often spiced, dark elixir is as rich in taste as it is in history.  Read on to find out how to make it.

All that is truly required to make great Turkish coffee is a pot, some coffee, a burner, and sugar if you desire.  To make it great, easy, and the way I make it, I recommend adding to the aforementioned equipment a teaspoon for measuring and some cardamom.  Turkish coffee is typically made in a pot called an ibrik or cezve.  This copper pot, usually with a long wooden handle, is the perfect shape for preparing Turkish coffee.  The size ibrik used is determined by how many cups you plan on making.  A pot that is two large will not allow for the perfect foam to be created.  The ibrik is also made to allow easy pouring directly from the pot and is slender enough that the water volume allows for the coffee grinds to settle to the bottom.  If you don’t have an ibrik you can substitute a small sauce pot but odds are the foam and flavour will be diminished.  It’s equally important that you start with cold water and use low heat.  Both of these are determinate factors in the finished product.  Starting with warm water will often create a muddy finished product and not allow the coffee to settle properly.  Using high heat will diminish the amount of foam you produce.  Below is how I prepare it at home.

Turkish Coffee:
1 cup of cold water per person
1 tsp of freshly ground coffee per cup of water (I prefer dark or medium roasts)
¾ tsp of sugar per cup of water (optional or to taste)
1 cardamom pod per cup of water (ground)

Start by pouring the cold water into your ibrik or small sauce pot.  Add the coffee, sugar and cardamom and stir until the sugar dissolves.  At this point do not stir the coffee again as it will diminish the foam and not allow the coffee to settle.  Now place the pot over a burner set to medium-low and allow the coffee to come to a boil.  The slower this takes the better the finished product will be.  Once the coffee boils pour some (not all) of the coffee into demitasse cups so they are about 1/3^rd full.  Now return the remaining coffee to the heat and allow it to come to a boil again.  Finish pouring the remaining coffee into the cups.  This should make sure that all cups receive an equal amount of foam (this is where the flavour is).  You should now let the coffee sit for several minutes before drinking to allow the coffee grounds to settle.  Now enjoy your delicious Turkish coffee, and if you are lucky and have someone qualified why not let them read your fortune from the grounds left in your cup.

Nothing is better on a hot summer day than a daiquiri, unless of course you can get your hands on some daiquiri ice.  But if that hot summer day falls during the week and in the middle of the day odds are your boss won’t appreciate you eating alcoholic ice desserts, no matter how hot [...]]]>

Nothing is better on a hot summer day than a daiquiri, unless of course you can get your hands on some daiquiri ice.  But if that hot summer day falls during the week and in the middle of the day odds are your boss won’t appreciate you eating alcoholic ice desserts, no matter how hot it is.  Enter coffee ice cream, the perfect way to sober up after a couple of scoops of daiquiri ice.  Keep reading to find out how I make them both.

Both of these recipes assume that you have and know how to use an ice cream maker.  If you don’t have one I suggest you pick one up.  They are relatively cheap and super easy to use.  I will be doing a review on mine in the next couple of days.  The one thing word of advice I will give is to get a model that is “automatic”.  This means you won’t have to regularly add ice and salt like older machine but instead you will use an insulated insert that gets frozen over night.

Let’s start by getting you drunk.

Daiquiri Ice:
2 ¼ cups cold water
½ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup rum
¾ cup of sugar
1tbsp lime zest

The key to good daiquiri ice is in the limes.  Try to find the best limes you can for this preparation, I recommend the Persian lime which in the US is typically sold just as a “lime”.  Unlike Key limes, Persian limes tend to be less acidic with a mellower flavor, if however you like the tart factor than by all means use Key limes.  The main goal here is quality.

After you have sourced your limes start by using a zester or microplane to get your zest.  Make sure you only get the outer skin and avoid the bitter pith.  After zesting juice enough limes to get your ½ cup of lime juice, depending on size this can take anywhere from 4-8 limes.

In a bowl combine all the ingredients and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Pour this liquid into a sealable container and chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.  The key is to get the liquid as cold as possible before going into the ice cream maker.  By doing this you assure that the time it takes to form ice crystals decreases meaning smaller crystals and a much better texture.

After chilling in your fridge for a couple of hours pour the mixture into your already cold and running ice cream maker.  Let the mixture churn in your ice cream maker for 30 minutes, this is about as frozen as you are going to get at this point.  Using a spatula scrap the daiquiri ice out of the ice cream maker into an appropriate storage container and toss into your freezer for at least an hour or two before serving.  To get the best texture let the daiquiri ice stand for about 15 minutes at room temperature before scooping.

Now to sober you up.

Coffee Ice Cream:
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
¾ cup sugar
2tbsp instant coffee (I use either Café Bustelo or Medaglia d’Oro, these are usually found in the Hispanic section of your mega mart.)
6 egg yolks

In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar and instant coffee and bring to a boil.  Once the mixture boils reduce the heat to low.

While the milk mixture is heating place your egg yolks into large bowl.  Once your milk mixture has boiled and you have reduced the temperature on it to low, add about a cup of the hot milk to the egg yolks and whisk to temper the eggs.  Once you have raised the temperature of the eggs, add the tempered egg yolks to the sauce pan and cook until the mixture slightly thickens, approximately 5 minutes.

After the mixture thickens slightly strain into a heat safe container and cool in the refrigerator for several hours.  Just like the daiquiri ice we want the ice cream mixture to be as cool as possible prior to going into our ice cream maker.  This means we will achieve a better texture which comes from smaller ice crystals which you get from rapid freezing.

When cold pour the coffee ice cream mixture into your prepared and running ice cream maker.  Again after 30 minutes it’s time to use a spatula to remove the ice cream from its maker and introduce it to your freezer for a couple hours prior to serving.

Truth is we all know that coffee ice cream doesn’t really sober you up from a daiquiri ice buzz.  But at least you will be alert!  Enjoy.

Recently at work a conversation about crack lead to a discussion of sugar stages.  So what are sugar stages you ask?  Anyone who owns a candy thermometer has probably seen, in addition to temperatures, words like thread and hard crack written on its face.  Those words correspond to the stages that sugar goes through as [...]]]>

Recently at work a conversation about crack lead to a discussion of sugar stages.  So what are sugar stages you ask?  Anyone who owns a candy thermometer has probably seen, in addition to temperatures, words like thread and hard crack written on its face.  Those words correspond to the stages that sugar goes through as it is heated.  Continue on for more info on the sugar stages and find out how the firm ball stage leads to divinity.

When making candy the texture of the finished product greatly depends on the sugar concentration.  As syrup is heated it starts to boil and thus water begins to evaporate.  As the water evaporates the sugar concentration starts to rise and also raises the boiling point.  This means that at a given temperature we have a fairly accurate measure of the concentration of sugar.  However, as crazy as this may sound, there was a time when candy makers either did not have thermometers or they couldn’t afford them.  Given the option of either not making candy or waiting until a solution was invented, some bright confectionary minds discovered that sugar concentration could be determined by dropping the heated syrup into cold water.  This gives us what we now know as the sugar stages.  The sugar stages are not a bad thing to know since not all thermometers are accurate.  There may also be a time when you want to make candy and don’t have one.  They are as follows.

Thread Stage – 230° F-235° F – 80% Sugar Concentration
At this stage there is quite a bit of water left and syrup dropped into cold water will form a liquid thread that will not form a ball.  Not really good for candy but nice on other desserts.

Soft-Ball Stage – 235° F-240° F – 85% Sugar Concentration
At this stage the syrup dropped in cold water will form a soft pliable ball.  If removed from the water it will flatten out and not hold its shape.  This stage is where fudge is made.

Firm-Ball Stage – 240° F-250° F – 87% Sugar Concentration
At this stage the syrup dropped in cold water will form a firm ball (imagine that).  If removed from the water it will hold its shape but can still be flattened if pressure is exerted.  This is the stage that gives us caramel candy.

Hard-Ball Stage – 250° F-265° F – 92% Sugar Concentration
Now we are getting up there!  At this stage the syrup dropped in cold water will form a hard ball.  If removed from the water it will hold its shape and prove to be difficult to flatten even with pressure.  This is the stage that gives us Divinity (at least my version), recipe to follow!

Soft-Crack Stage – 270° F-290° F – 95% Sugar Concentration
Very little water left and the syrup dropped in cold water will form solid thread.  When removed from the water the thread will be flexible and will give slightly before breaking.  This stage gives us butterscotch.

Hard-Crack Stage – 300° F-310° F – 99% Sugar Concentration
Almost no water left and the syrup dropped in cold water will form hard thread.  When removed from water they will break when bent.  This stage is where lollipops come from (and you thought it was the bank).

This is where I will end my discussion on sugar stages.  Above 310° F and you are at 100% sugar concentration.  While this caramelized sugar has uses in many desserts it doesn’t apply to candy.  Following is the recipe that I use for making Divinity but before I give it there is a warning!  Working with and heating sugar can be dangerous.  Hot syrup is the kitchen equivalent of Napalm.  Because of its sticky nature hot sugar is almost impossible to quick rub or rinse off your skin.  As a result it is going to continue to burn until it cools enough to be removed usually leaving a blister.  So nudists please cover yourself if you are going for Divinity.

Divinity:
2 cups sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup water
2 egg whites
1tsp pure vanilla
1 cup your favourite chopped nuts (see Slap Chop)

Starting with a heavy sauce pan over medium-high heat, stir together the sugar, corn syrup and water.  Continue to stir the syrup stopping once the sugar has dissolved.  Cook the syrup until your candy thermometer reads 250° F or you have reached the hard-ball stage.

While your syrup is cooking, add the 2 egg whites to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until stiff peaks form.  Once your sugar has reached 250° F carefully pour the syrup into the stiff egg white with the mixer on low.  Once all the sugar has been poured in add the vanilla and turn the mixer to high and beat until the mixture holds its shape (about 5 minutes).  During the last 30 seconds or so add your chopped nuts.

Now, most Divinity eaters will tell you to take 2 spoons and form little clouds that look like the top of a soft serve ice cream cone.  If you decide to go that route use parchment paper to keep them from sticking to the surface you scoop them on.  If at any time the mixture becomes too stiff you can work a little warm water into the mixture to soften things back up.  I however just lube up an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray and pour the mixture into the dish using a spatula to help it take its shape.  After it cools I cut them into squares like brownies.  Either way all you need to do is let them cool completely and eat.  Enjoy.

While researching for another post I ran across an interesting food item that I was not previously aware of.  That item was fried Coke, the culinary sibling of braised heroin.  Seriously though, fried Coke, this is a dish made from frying dough made with Coca-Cola, on which Coke syrup, whipped cream, cinnamon and a cherry [...]]]>

While researching for another post I ran across an interesting food item that I was not previously aware of.  That item was fried Coke, the culinary sibling of braised heroin.  Seriously though, fried Coke, this is a dish made from frying dough made with Coca-Cola, on which Coke syrup, whipped cream, cinnamon and a cherry are added.  Created for the 2006 State Fair of Texas the official recipe has never been revealed.  Noting the decided lack of alcohol and paying homage to my favorite drink I set out to create my own version.  Read on for fried Captain and Coke.

Realizing some of our meals lately were fairly high in calories I decided to make a spinach salad for dinner the other night.  Unfortunately for dessert I invented this fried Captain and Coke, which by my estimation contains around 1000 calories.  Oh well, there is always tomorrow.  Not having a recipe for fried Coke I was free to interpret.  Having made pate a choux buns recently for another experiment, I figured a variation on this dough should fry up nicely yielding a nicely textured beignet.  Not a big fan of Cola syrup, I am topping my fried coke with a combination of cinnamon sugar, fresh strawberry syrup and Captain Morgan whipped cream.

Fried Coke:
1 cup coke
4oz unsalted butter
1 cup of AP flour
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp cinnamon sugar (2tbsp sugar mixed with 2tbsp cinnamon)

In a sauce pan bring the coke and butter to a vigorous boil.  Remove from the heat and add the flour, stirring constantly.  Return this paste to low heat and cook until all the flour is incorporated and the dough forms a single ball.  Remove the pan from the heat and place the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer to cool.  After cooling for about 10 minutes (don’t want to scramble your eggs) turn the mixer on low and add the eggs one at a time, waiting for the previous to be completely incorporated before adding the next.  Add the vanilla and mix until smooth.

Preheat your deep fryer to 360 degrees F.  Using two spoons drop dough about ½ to 1 teaspoon at a time into the hot oil.  Fry for about 5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.  Remove from the oil and place on a cooling rack placed over a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and either enjoy immediately (they are pretty dang tasty) or construct with the following to recreate the fried Captain and Coke I made.

Strawberry Syrup:
16oz Strawberries (cut into slices)
2tbsp Orange Juice
2tbsp Sugar
¼ cup water

In a sauté pan add strawberries, OJ, sugar and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook until the syrup thickens.

Captain Morgan Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water heated to create a sugar solution)
1 shot of Captain Morgan (or other spiced rum)

Combine whipping cream, simple syrup and spiced rum.  Pour the mixture into your whipped cream maker and charge.  Alternatively you can whip by hand until soft peaks form.

To assemble, add a small amount of strawberry syrup to the bottom of a sundae glass, fill the remainder of the glass with coke beignets.  Top with more strawberry syrup and a healthy dollop of Captain Morgan whipped cream, serve while the beignets are still warm.  Enjoy.

Memories are funny things.  Some of them are perfectly vivid down to the smells and tactile sensations.  Others evoke an emotional response with the details obscured by the fog of time.  Artichokes induce such an emotional response in me, giving me a sense of calm, a feeling of safety, and a feeling of warmth.  You [...]]]>

Memories are funny things.  Some of them are perfectly vivid down to the smells and tactile sensations.  Others evoke an emotional response with the details obscured by the fog of time.  Artichokes induce such an emotional response in me, giving me a sense of calm, a feeling of safety, and a feeling of warmth.  You see, when I was growing up artichokes where a special treat at our dinner table, a time when the stresses from the day disappeared and for a brief moment everything was perfect.  We would each receive our own artichoke accompanied by a small bowl of melted butter.  Peel a leaf, a light dip of butter, and just enough flesh on each to give a taste of the treat waiting ahead, the ritual was almost as good at the meal.  Finally after what seemed like an eternity you would reach a furry center.  I was convinced this would kill me if not for the valiant efforts of my father who would expertly remove the “choke” making the heart safe for consumption.  A final dip into butter and we would consume the heart, perhaps one of the best of all epicurean delights, only made better by the work required to obtain this other worldly delight.  Until very recently I had only ever prepared artichokes in the same way as my mother.  She would carefully steam them until the flesh of the leaves yielded to the tooth and the heart was soft and warm.  Awhile back while preparing a grilled meal I decided to finish the artichokes on the grill, and my world has never been the same.  Read on to see how I prepare my grilled artichokes.

While at work the other day Katt called to tell me she had purchased a couple of steaks for the grill.  I love steaks and I love to grill, this was going to be a good night indeed.  She also informed me that she had procured a couple of beautiful artichokes.  The rest of the day was a blur.  It took everything I had to not quit my job immediately to enjoy these artichokes.  Artichokes that would soon succumb to my grill giving up their hearts so that I may enjoy them, here is how it went down.

Grilled Artichoke:
1 artichoke per person
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Ground Cumin
Mayonnaise or Butter for dipping

First take your favourite stock pot (with steamer insert and lid) and get a couple of inches of water simmering for steaming duties.  Also take this time to heat up your grill.  Now let’s start working on the artichokes.

After a brief time admiring just how beautiful they are start by cutting off about the top inch or two of the artichoke.  This simply allows the artichokes to sit nicely on the steamer insert.  Remember, as soon as you cut into an artichoke the clock is running.  If you don’t plan on cooking them immediately you should prepare some cold water with lemon juice to place the cut artichokes in to keep them from turning brown.  I don’t usually bother with this unless I am doing a lot of artichokes.  Instead I just place the artichokes in the steamer as soon as I have them ready.


After removing the top of the artichoke take kitchen shears or scissors and cut off the tip of each leaf.  This is to protect the eaters’ fingers from being stabbed by the sharp tips of the leaves.


Trim the stem of the artichoke just enough so that they will fit into your steamer with the lid closed.


At this point you have a choice.  If you are the kind of person that likes a boring tuna and a boring life than go ahead and cook the artichokes until they are done.  This takes about 30-40 minutes or until a fork inserted into the stem meets little resistance.  If you are however the kind of person, like me, that seeks adventure, is cool and likes an exciting tuna, then just steam them for 15 minutes and we will finish them on the grill!


After steaming for 15 minutes remove the artichokes to a cutting board and let them cool until you can safely handle them.  At this point, starting from the stem cut them in twain.


This will expose the choke and the most difficult part of the preparation.


I start by removing all of the purple tipped baby leaves to completely expose the “choke” (the mass of immature florets that look like hairs covering the heart).  Through trial and error I have found a grapefruit spoon to be the best tool to remove the “choke”.  If you find yourself without one a teaspoon or melon scooper is your next best choice.  Starting from the cut side working towards the outside of the artichoke remove the entire “choke” by scraping/cutting and trying your hardest not to damage the delicious heart.


With the “choke” removed drizzle olive oil over both sides of the artichoke making sure to cover the heart and season liberally with salt, fresh ground pepper and ground cumin.  Place the artichokes on the grill cut side up and cook for 10 minutes.  Turn the artichokes over and grill cut side down for 5 minutes longer.


That’s it you’re done and ready to enjoy.  I like to serve them with either mayonnaise or melted butter for dipping.  Peel off a leaf, dip and eat the flesh from the heart side.  After eating the flesh from all the leaves, savor the heart.  In this particular case I served them with mayonnaise and a side of steak, but believe me the artichoke was the star of this meal.

What do you do when you have left over duck fat from the slow-roasted barbeque pulled duck sliders you did for your company’s pot-luck?  Why you deep fry stuff in it of course!  Katt is the fried chicken connoisseur around here so when she said she wanted to make fried chicken I decided to take [...]]]>

What do you do when you have left over duck fat from the slow-roasted barbeque pulled duck sliders you did for your company’s pot-luck?  Why you deep fry stuff in it of course!  Katt is the fried chicken connoisseur around here so when she said she wanted to make fried chicken I decided to take it to the next level and make it ridiculous.  I did and my heart will never be the same.  What I ended up with is buttermilk battered duck fried chicken with a bacon, onion and mushroom white gravy.  Hit the jump for a run down.

When one of those online calorie calculators warned me of impending doom after giving it the ingredients list I knew I was on the right track!  It went something like this.

Duck Fried Buttermilk Chicken:
1 Fryer chicken, cut into 6 or 8 pieces
2 cups buttermilk
½ cup Crystal’s hot sauce
1tbsp Zatarain’s or Old Bay seasoning
2tbsp cracked black pepper
Flour, for dredging
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Place the chicken pieces in a quart size plastic bag along with the buttermilk, Crystal’s, Zatarain’s, and the cracked black pepper. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

Melt enough duck fat or lard to come ¼ to ½ an inch up the side of a heavy cast iron skillet or pan.  Start over low heat until the fat melts then raise the heat to about medium to medium high, you are looking for about 325 degrees F.

Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and place in a colander or bowl.  Pour some of the buttermilk mixture from the bag into a bowl and in a second bowl combine the flour, salt and pepper.  Start by dredging the chicken in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess and place back into the buttermilk.  Now dredge in the flour a second time and shake off the excess flour once again.  I personally like the double dip method and I find that the flour helps the buttermilk stick and the buttermilk helps the flour stick, it’s a win-win.

Place the chicken pieces skin side down into the pan making sure not to over crowd the pan.  Cook the chicken for approximately 10-12 minutes per side until nice and golden brown and the chicken reads an internal temperature of 165F-180F.  Make sure to monitor the fat temp every couple of minutes, don’t try to chase it too much but make sure it’s around 325F.  This is also a good time to have one of those splatter screens, especially if you’re a nudist (hot oils hurts people).

When the chicken is done remove to a drying rack over a sheet pan to drain, do not place onto paper towels as this will cause the chicken skin to get soggy (not good).

White Gravy:
Slab Bacon, about ½ cup in a ¼ inch dice
½ Vidalia or Sweet onion diced
¼ chopped mushrooms (dealer’s choice)
4tbsp duck fat
4tbsp flour
2 cups whole milk
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a 12 inch frying pan over medium heat fry the bacon until it renders some of its fat but is not yet crispy.  Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until they are slightly soft, about 5 minutes.  Add duck fat to the pan until, when combined with the bacon fat, you have about 6tbsp of fat total.  Turn the heat to high and whisk in the flour, continue whisking and cooking for about 3 minutes until the roux takes on a slightly yellow color but not brown.  With the heat on high, slowly add the milk while whisking constantly.  Bring the gravy to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low.  Season the gravy with salt and liberal amounts of black pepper. Continue to cook for about 8-10 minutes, if the gravy is to thick add a little water to thin it.

Plate the chicken and cover with the white gravy, eat, and finally grab chest as the fat congeals in your veins.  To make things worse I served this with mashed potatoes that I made with heavy cream, butter, some of the gravy, peas and baked into a pie crust.  Now I understand that this isn’t the kind of meal that you can eat every day (well at least if you don’t want your heart to explode) but don’t you owe it to yourself to splurge every once in a while?