Real Buttermilk Fried Chicken That Will Knock Your Socks Off

What is it about the warm summer weather that makes me want to put on my best sun dress, throw a bold hat on my head, and cook up a genuine southern–comfort-stick-to-your-ribs meal?

I can't be the only one that feels this way, right?

The veggies in the garden are looking at me with a wink and a smile, and I just have the sudden urge to cook up some okra and beet greens and fry up a chicken!

Being a “Northerner” all of my life, I can honestly, and regrettably, say that I have never had the opportunity to taste a southern, just picked watermelon, or a peach that just came off the tree.

The long growing season south of us seems magical to me.

And with the longer growing season, the diversity of the ingredients and menus:

Seafood, tropical fruits, molasses-making, and grilled in cornhusks catfish.

Maybe I am just a dreamer that hasn't traveled that far down, but, my sister gave me this wonderful cook book, “Dori Sanders' Country Cooking”, and Ms. Sanders' tales and memories of her childhood down in South Carolina make me wish I was there.

She recounts her early childhood days of picking and drying sweet potatoes, making molasses at her family's mule-run molasses mill, and the wonderful tea parties on the porch.

Box dinners for crying out!

A cooking competition for the young maidens in the land to show off their fried chicken and biscuit skills to all of the eligible bachelors, complete in a shoe box!

Whoa, far out!

Sometimes I feel as though I was born in the wrong era, and maybe in the wrong region.

What would I wear? How would I sound?

Most importantly:
What would I cook?

(Do you ever ponder these things?)

I can whip up a mean meal, fit for a king (even a small king), but, I have never been able to get that “scald” on the chicken (okay, I don't know exactly what that means, it's a line in the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes”, but you get the point).

I was always intimidated by fried chicken, so I left that up to the “experts (whoever they are).

That warm, soulful style of cooking has always alluded me.

Until now.

With the help of Ms. Dori Sanders' mama's favorite recipe, I am well on my way to being a certified-fried-chicken-connoisseur. You will be too!

Impress your Sunday guests with your new bonafide Southern cuisine.

I served this up with some sautéed corn and okra, finished by a vinegar pie with strawberry sauce.

This is easy, uses simple on-hand ingredients, and is such a fun, rich-in-tradition way to cook up a

whole chicken that doesn't involve roasting. This recipe is a winner.

I want to share this different and fun recipe with you, and maybe it will inspire you like it did me to new and exciting “out of this region” recipes for the warm days of summer.

We can sometimes get stuck in a recipe rut, and it's fun to look to other people for some fresh ideas and inspiration.

Oh, how food ties us all together.

I know you're going to love this recipe, and if there's something you did a little differently, tell me about it!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe:

Ingredients-

• 1 Frying Chicken, cut up into pieces

• 2 Cups Buttermilk

• 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour

• 2 Teaspoons Salt

• 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

• 1 Teaspoon Paprika

• ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder

• ¼ Teaspoon Onion Powder

• About ½ Cup Cooking Oil (Lard, Vegetable Oil, etc.)

Instructions-

1. Rinse chicken pieces, pat them dry, and place them in a shallow baking dish or large mixing bowl. Pour the buttermilk over top, cover, and refrigerate for at least four hours (turn at least once or twice).

2. Combine the flour and seasonings in a clean plastic or paper bag, add two or three pieces of chicken at a time, and shake to coat well. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.

3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet (think cast iron, if you have it) over medium-high heat, the oil should be about ½” high. The oil should be hot, but not smoking.

4. Add the chicken (in batches if needed), and cook for about three minutes, or until brown on all sides. Set aside on a platter until all the chicken is browned.

5. Place them all back into the skillet (crowding is okay here), turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is tender, about thirty five to forty five minutes.

6. If needed, turn the heat back up to medium-high, and cook six to eight minutes more with the cover off to crisp skin. Serve hot at once.