So today I wasn't feeling like going too overly involved for dinner, so I did something that is a bit of a stand by in this house and something that is completely new. I did "fried chicken" of sorts, which we have many many times in this house and is adapted from a Joyful Abode recipe. Something new to me that I did is a take off of a Rachael Ray recipe that my friend Anneka posted on her blog.
But of course, we ALL know that I did it a little differently, because that is just how cooking works... Everyone puts their own spin on things.
The chicken basically is like Emily makes it, but I fry mine a little more in the frying pan in some EVOO (this is a bit of a better alternative than completely frying them in the pan, they still come out crispy but don't have flour on them and aren't completely soaked in oil).
First I preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
I sprinkle the chicken thighs and drumsticks with homemade lemon pepper salt and paprika and whatever else I am in the mood for, which changes daily.
Then lay them skin side down in a hot frying pan making sure that the skins cover the most surface area possible, and let the skins get nice and crispy. You can add a little bit of EVOO after the skins start crisping so that they don't stick to the pan (don't use a nonstick pan, the result isn't nearly as good), but if you do it before it will take longer to crisp and they will be a bit soggy.
After the skins are pretty crispy (a nice golden brown), flip them over and let the other side start a bit, that way any bits of skin on that side can get crispy too.
Place the crisped but not fully cooked chicken into a baking dish and pop them into the oven for about 25 minutes or until fully cooked.
Meanwhile, keep the oil in the pan you just used good and hot (so that any raw chicken juices cook and are not dangerous to cook in) and toss in some peeled pearl onions. I would say about 10 or so is a good number. Toss them in and sprinkle some sugar on top (about 2 tsp). They will instantly start to sizzle and caramelize... Yum...
Stir them around so that they don't get burnt but get really good and browned all over. Now for the fun part: get your white vinegar and your white cooking wine out, and give a good splash of each... WHOOOOSH! This is the sound of the reaction when you add the acids.
Sprinkle them with thyme and salt and pepper, and then toss in some green peas. I did about a half a bag, but now I wished I would have done a whole bag... I suggest partially cooking them if they are frozen, or thawing them before hand... Or you could use canned peas, but that is up to you.
So add you peas and give it a good stir, lower the heat to medium, and cover it for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through to make sure that it heats through thoroughly without burning.
The wine, vinegar, caramelization of the onions, and the leftover chicken grease makes for the yummiest peas I have ever tasted.
I would usually make mashed potatoes with this meal, and then after removing the chicken from the oven I would drain the grease off of the pan and make a pan gravy out of it... This makes for one of the most delicious gravies ever...
To make the gravy:
Transfer peas and onions to an oven safe dish and put the chicken and the peas back into the now turn off oven to keep warm. They will only be there for a minute or two, so I promise they won't dry out.
Put your chicken drippings back into your skillet. If you are a measuring type person, measure out about 1/3 c of the drippings. Add 3 T flour, whisking vigorously and carefully. Sprinkle in a bit of fresh ground pepper and a little bit of ground sea salt until smooth. Make sure that the flour is fully incorporated before going on to the next step. Add 1 1/2 cups whole milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. (If desired, thin with additional milk.)
Now pull your peas and chicken out and serve your super yummy dinner!
No comments:
Post a Comment