Midwinter Chicken Recipes

MIDWINTER CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut chicken into serving pieces. Tip--if you divide the breast in 3 pieces lengthwise instead of just 2 the portions will be more even. A very large roaster or stew hen might be big enough to cut the breast crosswise as well into 4 or even 6 pieces.
• Wash and trim the mushrooms.
• Wash, trim, and peel the carrots, onions, celariac and potatoes. Potatoes may be scrubbed and left unpeeled if preferred.
• Cut carrots into 3-inch lengths and cut the celariac into chunks about the size of golf balls. If using celery scrub, trim, and cut into 4-inch chunks.
• Drain tomatoes. Reserve juice for another purpose if desired.
• Heat olive oil in a large, heavy skillet and brown the chicken pieces thoroughly. Drain on paper to absorb excess fat.
• Place vegetables and garlic clove into a large, tightly-lidded roasting pan.
• Arrange chicken pieces on top of the vegetables with the herbs on top of the chicken.
• Pour 1 cup chicken stock into the dutch oven.
• Drizzle 1 tbs sherry evenly over the chicken pieces.
• Roast covered at 250°F for 3-4 hours or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
• Remove chicken to a warmed serving platter and keep hot.
• Remove vegetables to a warmed serving bowl, discarding the thyme, parsley, garlic and celery. Keep hot.
• Pour out the pan juices into a bowl and skim away any excess fat.
• Return one cup of the defatted pan juices to the dutch oven along with the cream and the other 2 tbs sherry. Add the celery seed, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium-low heat on the stove top until just simmering.
• Whisk the cornstarch into the milk then add this mixture to the pan. Stir constantly until the gravy simmers. Continue to simmer 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly with the whisk until the gravy thickens. If more gravy is desired there should be plenty of pan juices to make it--just keep the proportions the same to retain the richness.
• Serve each person chicken and vegetables then pass the gravy boat.
• I'd suggest a salad of romaine or butterhead lettuce or buttered green beans as sides and would recommend hearty, crusty bread or rolls to help mop up the gravy.
• If you have a very large platter it would make a pretty presentation to arrange the chicken in the middle surrounded by vegetables, drizzled with the gravy, and garnished with a bit of fresh parsley.

MIDWESTERN FRIED CHICKEN WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl, and add the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the thyme, and 4 of the garlic cloves. Marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature or, refrigerated, overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and set a baking sheet fitted with a rack on the middle shelf.
• Meanwhile, prepare the chicken coating: Combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, the ground crackers, 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the paprika in a large bowl. One at a time, take the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and dunk them in the flour dredge, pressing hard to make the coating adhere to every spot. Set aside on a plate.
• In a large, high-sided cast-iron pan, add lard or oil to a depth of 1 inch. Heat over medium-high heat until a droplet of water sprinkled on the surface sizzles loudly.
• Give the chicken pieces a fresh roll in the flour mixture if they've absorbed it, and add as many pieces of the dark meat (thighs, wings, and drumsticks) as will fit comfortably in the pan. Fry, turning as needed, until all sides turn dark golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to the baking sheet in the oven. Continue frying the rest, saving the white breast meat until last, and being careful not to burn the residue forming at the bottom the pan; that's your gravy base. When it is browned, add the chicken to the baking sheet. (Ideally the dark meat should bake in the oven for about 20 minutes and the light meat for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.)
• Pour off most of the fat in the pan, leaving 2 tablespoons of oil and the brown sludge at the bottom of the pan. (But if any of it looks burnt, discard that as well, because that is the base of your gravy.) Let the pan cool down for a minute. Then add the remaining 3 garlic cloves and the sage, and fry for 1 minute. Add the remaining 5 teaspoons flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture is smooth and light brown, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and whisk until smooth. Cook the gravy over low heat until it thickens softly, about 5 minutes.
• Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste, remove the garlic and sage, and pour it into a spouted pitcher to pass behind the hot chicken and the mashed potatoes.