Crisp Fried Chicken Any Night

Today’s recipe share is all about the convenience of thin chicken thighs fried to a beautiful, crisp deliciousness. And we will get to that in just a moment.

From a Catholic perspective, today falls in the fourteenth week of Ordinary Times and happens to be the Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot. Saint Benedict is the Patron Saint of Europe, of dying people, cave explores and schoolchildren. But it doesn’t stop there. Those inflicted with fevers, gallstones, inflammatory diseases or kidney dieses are encouraged to pray to Saint Benedict. One of the things that I truly love about being Catholic is that we have Saintly Help no matter what we may face on the journey of life. Saints are seated in heaven. They are people who just happen to have the ear of our Lord. Praying to a particular Saint is not a form of worship. It’s simply asking with deep passion and conviction for someone already in heaven to carry our prayers, along with their own, to our Lord. Think of praying to saints like asking your pastor or friends to pray with you.

Saint Benedict, please pray for me, that I will always seek out God’s will in my life, leaving behind temptations to sin.
Let God use me in ways only known to Him.
Carry my heartfelt desires to serve the Lord to the ear of Jesus. Add your prayers with mine that He may listen. Grand this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen

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Who doesn’t like fried chicken? I know that vegetarians might raise their hands, but their vote doesn’t count. Not that vegetarians don’t matter, but when we are talking about the consumption of meats, vegetarians by their very dietary nature are excluded. Just as the meat-eaters among us should have no voice when it comes to plant-based burgers. It’s an even trade, and one that need be respected on both sides. Don’t take my meat, and I won’t come after your Black Bean Burgers.

When Hubby and I first got married, back in the middle-ages, he was a dark meat eater, I went for the white meat. Not so much anymore. There are a few dishes that I’d prefer white meat, but these days nearly everything tastes better with chicken thighs. That’s because we’ve managed to breed the taste right out of poultry. White meat on its own is flavorless canvass for sauces, and dark meat has lost much of its gamy edge.

Personally, I prefer bone-in thighs since bones add depth and flavor to the flesh. However; bone-in thighs take longer to cook. And Kiddo is NOT a fan of bone-in anything, except maybe a Porterhouse. That said, this chicken is perfect for a weeknight supper. Marinate the thighs in the morning, fry them up quickly at the end of the day. When served with steak fries instead of mashed potatoes, the entire meal comes together in a snap. So enjoy!

Oh, and one more thing – while this is slated as a weeknight supper, the prep is a bit tedious. The fry however is quick. So think of it as a trade off. But well worth the effort if only for the rich, silky gravy. Not to mention crisp yet oh so moist chicken. Yum!

Crisp Fried Chicken Thighs with Cream Gravy
Fried Chicken Thighs
2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika
1 tablespoon Black Pepper
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 teaspoons dried Oregano
½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
8 boneless Chicken Thighs
1 cup Buttermilk
1 large Egg
1 tablespoons Kosher Salt
2 additional teaspoons Kosher Salt
1-1/2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Cornstarch
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
4 cups Shortening, for frying

To prepare the Chicken
Combine the paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Set aside.

Working with one thigh at a time, sandwich chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap or inside a zip-lock bag. With a meat mallet or heavy skillet, pound chicken until approximately 1/4-inch thick. Set chicken aside.

In a large bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, a tablespoon salt and 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture. Add chicken, turn to coat. Pour buttermilk mixture along with the chicken into a gall-size sip-lock bag. Place in a casserole dish to prevent leakage, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or even overnight. Flip bag occasionally to redistribute contents and coat chicken evenly.

Once the thighs have soaked in all that buttermilk goodness, you are ready to move on. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, 2 teaspoons salt and the remaining spice mixture in a large bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of the marinade from the bag, work into the flour mixture with fingertips. Set aside until ready to fry the chicken.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, heat oven to 175-degrees to hold chicken. Make the gravy.

Cream Gravy
1/4 Yellow Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
2 tablespoon Butter
2 tablespoons Flour
1 cup Milk
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
3/4 cup Heavy Cream

Peel and finely mince the onion and garlic, set aside.

Heat butter in a heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat until foamy. Add onions, cook until softened, about 4 minutes.

Note: If the butter begins to darken, lower heat.

Add garlic, cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Add flour to the butter mixture to create a roux. Cook for about 4 minutes to remove the raw taste of the flour. Add milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer. Whisk constantly, continue to cook for about 2 or 3 more minutes for the gravy to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm while the chicken is fried.

Note: The gravy will become thick. That’s okay, it will be thinned just before serving.

Just before serving, thin gravy with heavy cream, warm gently, then transfer to a bowl or gravy boat.

Fry Chicken
In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt shortening and heat to 400-degrees, about 5 minutes heating time.

While the shortening melts and is heated, remove chicken from the marinade, allowing excess buttermilk to drip back into the bag. Drop chicken into the flour mixture, toss to coat, pressing the mixture to adhere in a thick layer on the chicken. Shake chicken over the bowl to remove excess flour, then transfer to a large plate.

Carefully lower 3 or 4 pieces of chicken into the skillet to fry. The temperature of the shortening will drop. Adjust heat to maintain a frying temperature of 325-degrees. Fry the chicken pieces without disturbing for 90 seconds. Carefully agitate the chicken with a wire-mesh spider or tongs, taking care not to know off any of the breading. Cook until the bottom side of the chicken is a deep golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Carefully flip thighs, continue to cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes longer.

Transfer chicken to a paper-towel lined plate to drain for 30 seconds, flipping once. Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Serve chicken with gravy. Steak fries and buttery corn make for casual yet delicious sides.

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Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.