It was a difficult choice to make: do I put the fried chicken recipe on the web, or the chicken fried steak recipe down? After eating somebody else's attempt at fried chicken, the choice was clear...
Why are these called hush puppies? Who knows. When done properly, they taste nothing like shoes. When I make a batch, I usually double this recipe because they go fast.
Ingredients
1 egg 1 cup milk 1 cup cornmeal 1/4 cup flour 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp baking powder Cooking oil
In a small saucepan, fill about half full with oil and heat until a daub of flour sizzles when dropped into the oil. Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl; mix the milk and eggs in another; add and mix until smooth. Scoop a tablespoon at a time and, sliding the tablespoon into the hot oil, add to the oil (don't add more than will cover the top of the saucepan). Cook until at the desired doneness (some like them well done, in which case they are dark brown; others like them not so well done, in which case they should be golden brown).
These are, essentially, potato chips done with sweet potatoes. The amount suggested is for the three chickens used earlier.
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, sliced finely (use a food processor if you have one)
Cooking oil
Heat oil until hot (you can use the hush puppy oil; I do not recommend using the fried chicken oil!). Add a handful of sweet potatoes at a time; cook until desired doneness. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Best if eaten immediately.
The secret to fried chicken is the following: don't bother trying to make it healthy. Accept the fact that grease and fat taste good. However, a suggestion: fried chicken is so messy to make, you want to invite about a half dozen friends over and make a party out of it.
Ingredients
Three whole chickens, cut up 3 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup milk 1 cup flour 1 cup bread crumbs 1 garlic bulb Cooking oil Paper towels and newspapers
Fill a 5-quart dutch oven about half full with the oil; heat at medium until a sprinkling of flour dropped in it sizzles. In the meantime, cut the chicken (if necessary); mix bread crumbs and flour and put in a mixing bowl; mix eggs and milk and put into a separate bowl; set down newspapers and paper towels on top of the newspapers.
When oil is ready, separate garlic into cloves and drop into the oil (the garlic should begin sizzling immediately: if it doesn't, the oil isn't hot enough). Dip chicken in the milk and egg mixture, then in the flour and breadcrumb mixture, then back in the milk and egg mixture, and back into the flour. (If you run out of milk and egg in the process, make more). Gently place into the oil (or drop it, if you don't mind getting hot oil burns). Cook until golden brown; remove. Place on paper towels to drain. Occasionally remove garlic; the fried garlic is delicious.