Tag Archive for leg quarters

Steak Fried Chicken and Gravy

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Steak Fried Chicken

Steak Fried Chicken with gravy and a biscuit hits the spot

Fried chicken is a Southern tradition, but I decided to put a spin on this dish by calling it Steak Fried Chicken and Gravy because it looks more like steak than chicken.

When buying chicken, I mainly buy leg quarters. I normally skin and debone the chicken and then freeze it to have on hand when I want chicken later. Our local Piggly Wiggly runs the leg quarters on sale by the 10 pound bag from time to time. It’s always a good deal so I buy extra.

I took out a pack of leg quarters from the freezer the other day just for frying. The quarters had flattened out to very nice pieces of meat. I started by putting 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt, and 1 tablespoon paprika in a plastic Ziploc bag and mixed well. In a shallow bowl, I whisked 1 large egg and 1 cup buttermilk.

Steak Fried Chicken battered - The Surprised Gourmet

Steak Fried Chicken covered in batter, ready to fry

In a deep Lodge cast iron skillet, I added enough Canola oil to make it about 1/2 inch deep in the pan. I took 1 sleeve of whole wheat saltine crackers and crushed them in a bowl for coating. I then sprinkled fresh ground kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and Lawry’s Garlic Salt over the 4 leg quarters.

Place each piece of chicken in the Ziploc bag separately and shake it up. Place the flour-coated chicken on a plate to set. Once all the chicken is set, dip each piece in the buttermilk mixture, let the excess drip off then dredge in the crushed crackers. Pat the chicken into the crackers making sure each piece is completely covered.

Place the chicken in the skillet of hot oil being careful not to splatter yourself with the oil. Let the chicken cook in the hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. You want the chicken to be golden brown. If it comes out dark then your oil is too hot.

Steak Fried Chicken in the skillet - The Surprised Gourmet

Steak Fried Chicken cooking in the Lodge skillet

When the chicken comes out of the skillet, put it in a baking dish and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking.

In a saucepan, combine 3 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder, 4 tablespoons Canola oil, 4 tablespoons flour, 2 cups milk, and 1 tablespoon fresh dried parsley (optional, as this is more for color than flavor). Use a whisk to blend. You may need to add water to obtain the consistency you want in this gravy. Heat over medium heat.

Pour gravy over fried chicken and/or mashed potatoes.

This dish is finger-licklin’ good even if it doesn’t look like fried chicken normally does.

Thanks for stopping by today. Are you a fried chicken fan? Now that you’ve heard of Steak Fried Chicken, have you also heard of Chicken Fried Steak?

Cucina Felice!

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Steak Fried Chicken and Gravy

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Serves: 4 Servings

A delicious twist on the traditional fried chicken recipe
Ingredients
  • 4 Boneless, skinless leg quarters flattened
  • ½ Cup all purpose flour
  • ½ Tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
  • 1 Tablespoon paprika
  • 1 Cup buttermilk
  • 1 Large egg
  • Canola oil
  • 1 Sleeve saltine crackers
  • Fresh ground kosher salt (to taste)
  • Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
  • GRAVY
  • 2 Cups milk
  • 3 Teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
  • 4 Tablespoons Canola oil
  • 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh dried parsley (optional)
  • Water (as needed)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Put ½ cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic salt, and 1 tablespoon paprika in a plastic Ziploc bag and mix well. In a shallow bowl, whisk 1 large egg and 1 cup buttermilk.
  3. In a deep Lodge cast iron skillet, add enough Canola oil to make it about ½ inch deep in the pan. Take 1 sleeve of whole wheat saltine crackers and crush them in a bowl for coating. Sprinkled fresh ground kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and garlic salt over 4 leg quarters.
  4. Place each piece of chicken in the Ziploc bag separately and shake it up. Place the flour-coated chicken on a plate to set. Once all the chicken is set, dip each piece in the buttermilk mixture, let the excess drip off then dredge in the crushed crackers. Pat the chicken into the crackers making sure each piece is completely covered.
  5. Place the chicken in the skillet of hot oil being careful not to splatter yourself with the oil. Let the chicken cook in the hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. You want the chicken to be golden brown. If it comes out dark then your oil is too hot.
  6. When the chicken comes out of the skillet, put it in a baking dish and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking.
  7. In a saucepan, combine 3 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder, 4 tablespoons Canola oil, 4 tablespoons flour, 2 cups milk, and 1 tablespoon fresh dried parsley (optional, as this is more for color than flavor). Use a whisk to blend. You may need to add water to obtain the consistency you want in this gravy. Heat over medium heat.
  8. Pour gravy over fried chicken and/or mashed potatoes.

 

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Brunswick Stew Hits the Spot

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A dish of Brunswick stew always hits the spot

A dish of Brunswick stew always hits the spot

Living in the South when the weather has a touch of Autumn in it, you can’t help but think of good old Brunswick stew. It always hits the spot.

Of course you can buy Brunswick stew by the gallon container, but the real fun comes when you make your own. Some people  cook the stew outdoors in cast iron pots. Some recipes are handed down from generation to generation and guarded as prized family secrets.

For those of us who have busy work schedules and little time to spend  watching stew cook, I use a slow cooker.

I adapted my Brunswick stew recipe from a 100-year-old recipe given to my mother by the pastor’s wife of her church a number of years ago. I left a few ingredients out and added several new ones.

I started by skinning and cooking 7 leg quarters in a slow cooker. Be sure to save the broth for stock. You can freeze the broth in ice trays and use the cubes when needed. Each cube holds about 1 and a half tablespoons of broth.

Brunswick stew is delicious as temperatures cool

Brunswick stew is delicious as temperatures cool

When the chicken was done and deboned, it made approximately 5 cups. I placed that in another slow cooker and added the following ingredients: 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) cream style corn; 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) tomato, okra, corn mixture; 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) cut okra (this I drained); 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) petite diced tomatoes; 1 1/2 cups of ketchup; 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce;  1 tablespoon of sugar; 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon of Lawry’s Garlic Salt; and 3 (3 1/2 ounces) jars of cocktail onions. You could use 1/2 cup of chopped onions instead, but I had the cocktail onions and wanted to see how they would do. They turned out great, but look like peeled white grapes in the stew.

Once all the ingredients were in the slow cooker, I gave them a good stir and added 2 cups of the chicken broth I had saved. Once everything was combined well, I set the slow cooker on low and let it cook for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, the stew was ready to eat. However, I continued to let it cook on low for several more hours just to allow all the ingredients to blend together well. Besides, everyone knows the longer you cook Brunswick stew – the better it gets.

Thanks for stopping by today. Do you have a favorite Brunswick stew recipe or a traditional way of preparing it? If you give this a try, be sure to drop back by and let me know how it turns out or tag it with #thesurprisedgourmet. I’d love to know how it went.

Cucina Felice!

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Brunswick Stew Hits the Spot

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Serves: 8 servings

Brunswick stew is a Southern tradition that hits the spot when temperatures begin to cool.
Ingredients
  • 5 Cups of cooked chicken
  • 1 Can (14½ ounces) cream style corn
  • 1 Can (14½ ounces) tomato, okra, corn mixture
  • 1 Can (14½ ounces) cut okra (drained)
  • 1 Can (14½ ounces) petite diced tomatoes
  • 1½ Cups of ketchup
  • ¼ Cup of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon of sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Teaspoon of Lawry's Garlic Salt
  • 3 (3½ ounces) Jars of cocktail onions (or ¼ cup of chopped onions)
  • 2 Cups Chicken stock
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Stir well and cook on low for 2 hours. It can be cooked longer, if desired.

 

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Simple Chicken Salad

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Baked tomato stuffed with leftover Chicken Salad

Baked tomato stuffed with leftover Chicken Salad

What is a simple dish that comes to mind when you think of summer?

For me there’s just something about chicken salad that says “summer.” Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy chicken salad year-round but it definitely has a place front and center when the temperature is hot.

There has got to be thousands of recipes for chicken salad. You just can’t go wrong eating chicken. I’ve tried numerous recipes from family and friends featuring grapes, nuts and fruit in the chicken salad. I finally decided to come up with my own take on this time-honored dish. I thought I’d incorporate some of the ingredients I like to see what I could create.

This is the tasty recipe that I came up with, but continue to tweet from time to time.

All the ingredients ready to mix for Simple Chicken Salad

All the ingredients ready to mix for Simple Chicken Salad

I start by using leg quarters that I skin and cook in a slow cooker overnight. I then debone the chicken, sometimes save the broth (depending on if I have some already on hand), and use the meat for the chicken salad. It’s not the traditional white meat thought of to make chicken salad, but it works just fine at a more affordable cost.

I put 4 cups of the cooked chicken in a large bowl and use a fork to shred it.

Next dice a large rib of celery into quarter-inch cubes and add to the chicken. Then add 3 cups sweet relish, 2 tablespoons dried minced onion, 1 teaspoon celery seed (I use Gold Medal), 3 tablespoons dried parsley, 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons Lowry’s Garlic Salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon fresh ground Kosher salt. Stir all of the ingredients well, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl so everything is well incorporated.

Simple Chicken Salad on Cheese Bread for a tasty snack

Simple Chicken Salad on Cheese Bread for a tasty snack

The chicken salad is ready. This can be served immediately on a bed of spinach or lettuce or as a sandwich. I’ve gotten to where I use only spinach instead of lettuce as I found it easier to digest and really better for you. The chicken salad can be stored in the refrigerator covered for a couple of days.

This salad will have a bit of a crunch when you use the dried minced onion instead of a fresh minced onion.

This makes about 8 to 10 servings.

This SIMPLE CHICKEN SALAD recipe makes a great dish to serve for your summer outings. How do you enjoy chicken salad – on a sandwich or on a bed of lettuce or maybe even in a different dish altogether?

Thanks for stopping by.

Cucina felice!

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Simple Chicken Salad

Rating 

Serves: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
  • 4 Cups cooked chicken
  • 1 Large rib celery
  • 3 Cups sweet relish
  • 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
  • 1 Teaspoon celery seed
  • 3 Tablespoons dried parsley
  • 1 Cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Teaspoons Lowry's Garlic Salt
  • ½ Teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon fresh ground Kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Place 4 cups of cooked chicken in large bowl and use a fork to shred it.
  2. Dice one large rib of celery into ¼-inch cubes and add to the chicken. Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir well. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure all the ingredients are well incorporated.
  3. The chicken salad can be served immediately on a bed of spinach or lettuce or as a sandwich. It also stores well covered in a refrigerator for the next day's enjoyment.
  4. *Skinned leg quarters cooked overnight in a slow cooker and then deboned were used for this recipe.

 

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