Catch the Spoon

Not a recipe by my normal standards, but worth preserving nonetheless. If you’re counting calories, you want to look away now.

It starts with mildly garlicky mashed potatoes. Take three pounds or so of russet potatoes. Peel about a third of them, quarter them all, and drop them into boiling salted water. Cook until just fork-tender. Drain well and cool slightly. Add a stick of butter, 1/2 cup sour cream, a tablespoon of garlic powder, and about a cup of good chicken stock. Mash roughly.

Make some beef gravy: make a semi-dark roux, and add beef stock. Whisk until thick.

In a bowl, layer some taters, canned corn, shredded cheddar cheese, and gravy. Apologize to your cardiologist, and dig in.

My goodness! Too much cooking/blogging, too little time. No matter. I’ve been keeping track of new tasty treats in my handy dandy notebook, and I hope to spend the next month or two getting caught up on what I’ve missed. Alas, there are very few pictures involved, as I keep forgetting, but I’ll supplement with stock when I can. On to the food!

Oven-fried chicken, in my mind, was never meant to be a substitute for the real thing. Just like Cheese Whiz and EZCheese are their own distinct foods (and decidedly not cheese), this recipe stands on its own as something I crave. Crisp and sassy, juicy and full of flavor, you may just crave it too.

Oven-Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2-3 pounds chicken drumsticks
• 2 cups unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine the first seven ingredients in a large zip-top bag and add chicken. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible, and squish so that chicken is thoroughly coated. Refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook, remove chicken and drain, discarding milk mixture. Preheat oven to 425° F. In a shallow dish or pie pan, combine breadcrumbs, melted butter, paprika, and garlic powder. Dredge chicken in breading and place on sheet pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165° F. Serve hot or cold.