Reese Witherspoon's Grandma's Fried Chicken & Gravy

Grandmas are the best. I do not know about yours, but mine was an excellent cook.  I crave all the things she cooked, and I think about her every time I pop open a can of Coke.

These two recipes are from this book, and they came from Reese Witherspoon's grandma. If you have not read it yet, spoiler: she loves her grandma.

As I write this, I am listening to the Indie Christmas 2018 - A Festive Folk/Pop Playlist on youtube. There is this song, Merry Day by Sheffield, in the playlist with these lyrics:

And the candy button gumdrops

Fill the counters of our homes

While the children unwrap presents

Grandma calls out names 

Every memory we’ve made

She’s the glue holding together

Well, isn't that the truth? Grandma is the glue holding together all the memories. I really miss mine. I hope you have had a wonderful grandma, too. Grandparents can make the world a whole lot sweeter. And I am not just talking about the candy and soda they might give you.

This is Grandma Dorothea's fried chicken. It serves 4-6 people. I fried mine a little too long, but they still tasted delicious. This was also my first time making fried chicken.

Ingredients:
1 1/2  - 2 pounds chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 pint buttermilk mixed with 1/4 cup hot sauce

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp. kosher salt

1 tbsp. onion powder

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. hot paprika
1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 cups whole milk

2 large eggs, beaten

peanut or vegetable oil, for frying


Instructions:

1. Pour the buttermilk/hot sauce mixture into a large Ziploc bag, add the chicken pieces, seal, and put in the fridge for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours before frying. Set the bag aside for 30 minutes at room temperature before frying. Drain in a colander. Discard the brine.

2. Combine the flour, salt, onion and garlic powders, paprika, and pepper in a heavy-duty paper bag (or a plastic bowl with a lid). Whisk the milk and eggs together in a shallow dish. Drop several pieces of the chicken into the bag or bowl of seasoned flour, seal, and shake to coat the pieces thoroughly. Open the bag and dip the floured pieces in the egg wash. Return them to the bag/bowl of flour and shake to coat again. Set them aside on a wire rack while you repeat the process with the remaining pieces - flour, egg wash, flour.

3. Heat at least 3" of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it reaches 325, using a frying or candy thermometer. Carefully slip the chicken pieces, skin side down, into the hot oil. The oil temperature will drop. Regulate the heat to maintain a temperature of 325. Cook the chicken for about 7 minutes without moving them. Turn and cook for 7 to 8 minutes more without disturbing them. The chicken is cooked when it reaches 160 on an instant-read thermometer. 

4. Remove the fried chicken to a clean rack set over a paper-towel lined sheet pan to soak up excess grease. Season with salt and pepper while hot, if desired. If making the gravy, reserve 2 tablespoons of grease from the frying pan. Serve the chicken warm or at room temperature.

For the gravy:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of grease from frying the chicken

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 all purpose flour

1 cup chicken stock

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Place 2 tablespoons hot grease from frying the chicken in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and, when the foam subsides, sprinkle the flour over the hot fat, whisking constantly, to make a roux. Cook until the roux is golden brown, about 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock and cream. Stir until smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a warm gravy boat for serving.