Make Sundays Finger-Licking Good

What were Sundays like when you were growing up? For me, Sundays were family time. It was crazy in the house, getting everyone into their Sunday Best before heading out to church. Back then, the Mass was in Latin. The only English I can remember was “Though the Mass has ended, go in peace”. Yeah, I was ready to go.

Upon returning home, we’d change into play clothes and head out for a backyard adventure. Dad would hang up his suit coat and tie, but remained in slacks and a white shirt. Mom would put away her hat or veil (back then, women covered their heads at church) and join Dad in the kitchen. Before you knew it, there would be a knock at the front door and the house would fill with aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family. Mom would put on a pot of coffee to enjoy while she and Dad prepared an early supper. Family, faith and fellowship, those were the cornerstones of life.

In these trying times of panic, social distancing and isolation, I try my best to keep Sundays special. Fried chicken with wedge potatoes and sweet summer corn remind me of backyard picnics. Hopefully these delicious dishes will spark some fond memories for you, too.

Simple Country Sunday
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Crisp Wedge Potatoes
Sweet Cob Corn

Kentucky Fried Chicken
1 Chicken Fryer
1 cup Milk
2 Eggs, beaten
2 cups Flour
2/3 tablespoon Kosher Salt
1/2 tablespoon Dried Thyme
1/2 tablespoon Dried Basil
1 tablespoon Celery Salt
1/3 tablespoon Dried Oregano
1 tablespoon Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Dried Mustard
4 tablespoons Paprika
2 tablespoons Garlic Salt
1/2 tablespoon Ground Ginger
3 tablespoons White Pepper
Oil for frying

Cut chicken into 8 pieces. Cut breast in half to match the size of the thighs. Discard or freeze wings for another use.

Pour milk into a large bowl. Beat in two eggs. Add more milk if batter is too thick.

Submerge chicken pieces into the milk mixture. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

When ready to begin cooking, heat oven to 425 degrees. Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and heat in the oven. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Drain and discard milk mixture.

In a large bowl, mix flour with all the spices. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet, Dutch Oven or deep fryer to 375 degrees.

Beginning with dark meat, coat chicken in the flour mixture and place in the oil to fry.

Fry the dark meat for 10 minutes per side. Add breasts to the skillet. Once the last of the chicken is in the fryer, cook for about 15 minutes, turning as needed to prevent burning.

Remove from fryer, place on the wire rack. Bake in the oven to cook through, about 25 to 30 minutes longer or until cooked through and juices run clear.

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Crisp Potato Wedges
4 medium Russet Potatoes
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Parsley Flakes, garnish

Heat oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the upper third. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Scrub potatoes well. Cut potatoes in half, then cut the halves into thirds. Use a paper towel to completely dry any moisture the cut potato releases.

In a large bowl, toss the cut potato wedges with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange the wedges cut side down on the prepared baking sheet, spaced out so they are not touching. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for 30 minutes then remove from oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, flip the wedges so the other cut side is down and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Return to oven and roast for another 15 minutes.

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Sweet Buttered Cob Corn
4 Ears Corn
2 Teaspoons Sugar
4 Tablespoons Butter
Salt to Taste

Husk and clean ears of corn. Trim ends, cut in half for 8 cobs. Place in a large pot and cover with 1 inch of COLD water.

Add sugar, set aside until ready to cook.

Bring pot with corn to a full boil, reduce heat to low boil (barely bubbling) and cook until corn is tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove corn from pot. Butter each ear with 1/2 tablespoon of butter, season with salt to taste and serve.

Note: Sugar is only necessary if using store-bought corn. If you know how the corn was grown, omit sugar.