Indentured Oven Fried Chicken

This is a typical Sunday meal that the cooking slave would have fried in a big black iron skillet out in the kitchen back of the main house.

Now the recipe calls for baking powder. This one makes its own. Slaves family always used Royal Baking powder. When the company went out of business in the 60's, slaves great-grandmother called and demanded the recipe! Which slave will share with you now, one of its most dear secrets. (You can find it on the web now days, but humor me).

Slaves Baking powder:

To make 1 tsp. baking powder,

½ tsp. Cream of Tarter

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp cornstarch

Mix this well and put in airtight container.

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Ingredients

2 ½ to 3 Lbs Chicken thighs skinned but with the bone

1 cup low fat buttermilk

5 oz garlic flavored croutons

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp Onion powder

1 tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp white pepper

(optional – 1 tsp cayenne pepper)

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking powder divided (See recipe above)

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon mustard

smoky sweet pepper flakes

Butter flavored cooking spray

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Skin the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels – don't rinse. Put in square baking dish, pour over 1 cup buttermilk and cover, set aside. NOTICE I saved the skins to freeze.  Next time I want a bacon substitute, I fry them up!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line 10 x 15 baking pan with foil, place in rack and spray it with cooking spray.

Put croutons in resealable freezer bag, seal and crush them up with a rolling pin. They don't have to be pulverized but you can work out some aggression with this.

* If you don't have croutons (slave got them because they were cheep) Use 1 cup cornflakes and add another ½ tsp garlic powder.

Mix your dry ingredients Except only add ½ tsp of baking powder, and pour into bag with crushed breading then mix well. Just seal and shake it around until it is completely blended. Pour this into a shallow bowl.

In another bowl, whisk mustard and ½ tsp baking powder into the mayonnaise until all mixed.
Drain the chicken and pat dry with paper towel.

By now the oven should be at 400 degrees. Spread out wax paper on the counter line up the bowls and get ready to assemble.

One piece at a time, brush with the mayo mixture, painting a light coat. Next, press into crumb mixture to coat it well and place on rack: towards the center but not touching each other. Once all are on the rack, spray them with cooking spray and sprinkle with a bit of red pepper flakes; put in oven. The longer they sit, the less crisp they will be.

Bake for 45 – 50 minutes. Test with a meat thermometer. Poultry should reach 170 degrees. Or until the juices run clear and meat is no longer pink. Under cooked bird of any kind can really make you sick: Over cooked and it will be dry, tough and you just might get pieces thrown at you.

Remove and cover with a piece of foil. Let it rest for 3 or 4 minutes, the temp will continue to rise.

Present it on a platter lined with dark green turnip leaves that have been well washed! decorate around the platter with wedges of orange.

Let the chicken be the star and keep the rest of the dinner simple, maybe steamed corn, and steamed peas. Today we can do these in the microwave, if you don't have a steamer basket yet.

My great grandmother showed me on the farm that first you put your water on to boil and then you went out to pick the ears of corn. She would break off an ear from the stalk, strip the leaves back and brush the silk and told me to take a bite right there in the field. It was as sweet as a piece of candy! This was just field corn not the special “Sweet Corn”

So when she cooked the vegetables on the stove in her 3rd floor apartment she always added butter and sugar. 
 

Today slave still adds just a pinch of sugar and sometimes some powdered no-salt chicken bullion - maybe a tiny bit just to remind you of the taste. Don't be afraid to let the natural goodness and color of the vegetables come through to satisfy your Master and His guests. Slave thinks He will request this dinner often! So crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Always the property of Master,

socialslave