National Fried Chicken Day: Buttermilk Southern Fried Chicken Recipe

National Fried Chicken Day is July 6th! People usually associate Southern cooking with two things: BBQ and Fried Chicken. I probably need to get my passport revoked because I have not until today, put up a single blog post or recipe on fried chicken. Fried chicken is a lot like BBQ sauce or potato salad. Every Southern cook has their own version and usually, a couple of good stories to go with it. Here's mine...

My mom grew up in a children's home in Troy, Alabama during very hard times. The kids all had to have a job and my mom always preferred to be in the kitchen. Once a week there would be fried chicken and they would have to go out in the yard and catch the chicken, kill it, clean it and then help cook it. Ugh. Hard to imagine. Mom taught me how to cut up a whole chicken and her techniques for frying. Luckily, I never had to chase one down and well, you know. These days, I get the store to cut the chicken up for me but the rest of it is the same. The big secret is the buttermilk. Don't skip that step... makes the chicken so juicy and tender! Here is my mom's recipe...

Traditional Buttermilk Southern Fried ChickenTRADITIONAL BUTTERMILK SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken with skin, cut up (about 3 pounds)

2 cups buttermilk

1 tablespoon kosher salt + 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon black pepper + ½ teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon paprika

3 cups self rising flour

6-8 cups Canola oil for frying based on the size of your skillet or Dutch oven

Special equipment: Thermometer for frying and a meat thermometer

Put the chicken pieces in a large zip top bag. Pour the buttermilk over it and close. Toss to coat all of the chicken. Put the bag in a bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours to soak, turning the bag occasionally.

When you are ready to fry, fit a deep cast iron skillet or large Dutch oven with a thermometer. Pour in the oil about 1 ½ to 2’ deep. Over medium high heat, bring the oil up to 360 degrees. You want to try to keep the oil at 360 during frying process. It will drop as you put in the chicken but let it come back to 360 degrees before adding more.

Combine the 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, cayenne, and paprika. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and discard the buttermilk. Season the chicken liberally with the spice mixture on all sides.  

Put the flour plus 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a zip top bag. Take the chicken, one or two pieces at a time and put into the flour mixture. Shake well to coat. Lightly shake off excess. Put on the baking rack after you have coated each piece.

When the oil is up to temperature, use the tongs to carefully put the coated pieces of chicken into the hot oil. Do this in batches, taking care not to overcrowd or put too many pieces in the pan at one time. You will lower the oil temperature and the skin will not be crispy. Cook the chicken for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally until the chicken is deep golden brown and delicious. Remove one piece of chicken and check the temperature with a meat thermometer at the thickest part of the breast or thigh but away from the bone. Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees F. Drain on a rack covered with a brown paper bag. You may want to hit the hot chicken with a little salt. That’s how my mom did it. Hope you like it as much as I love remembering those days standing by the stove while she cooked it.

FAVORITE SUMMER FOODS: BACON CHIVE POTATO SALAD

There are some dishes that just scream summer and potato salad is one of those. There is rarely a picnic or BBQ without it on the table. As a southerner, potato salad and deviled eggs are something you grow up eating and some of the very first dishes you learn to make. I always helped my mom make the potato salad... I can remember standing on the kitchen stool, peeling the potatoes or cracking he hard boiled eggs. She always told me that mayonnaise is the most important ingredient in potato salad and to this day, I find that to be correct. If you skimp on the mayo, the integrity of the dish changes drastically.

I typically make my mom's potato salad recipe with lots of yellow mustard and onion but here's a new spin on potato salad that I really like. This version tastes like a baked potato with sour cream, bacon and chives... try it as an alternative to your own version of potato salad. You'll love it!

BACON CHIVE POTATO SALAD

1 pound red potatoes

3 tablespoons kosher salt plus 1 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced, plus 1 teaspoon for garnish

10 bacon strips, cooked crisp and crumbled reserve some for garnish

Put the potatoes and 3 tablespoons salt in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain. Let cool slightly. Cut into halves or quarter if the potatoes are large.

In your serving bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, Dijon, sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. 

Add the potatoes while they are still warm and toss well to coat. Try not to break up the potatoes too much. Add the bacon and chives, toss again and check seasoning. You may want a bit more sour cream because the warm potatoes will soak up most of the liquid. Add a bit more salt and pepper depending on your taste. Serve immediately or chill until serving time. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream plus the chives and bacon.

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Hangout Music Fest 2013: Martie's SUPER VIP Party Menu

The Hangout Music Fest has turned into one of the biggest music events in the world and it is all built on the sand in Gulf Shores, Alabama. We just returned from hosting a party within the party for the Super VIP's and Big Kahuna ticket holders.

We created a menu for the weekend that revolved around fresh local ingredients and quality products from around the state of Alabama from some of my favorite companies: Earthborn Pottery from Leeds, AL, Lighthouse Bakery from Dauphin Island, AL, Belle Chevrefrom Elkmont, AL, Fieldstone Hamsfrom Oneonta, AL, Alabama Gulf Seafood, Sweet Olive Bakery, Chasing Fresh, Local Appetite, Craine Creek Farm, all from Fairhope, Alabama.

My menus were all designed aound a specific theme to offer lots of variety for the hundreds of guests we were serving each day. I also offered one of my signature cocktails each day.

FRIDAY LUNCH: ALABAMA PICNIC TABLE WITH TRUE ICEBOX FRIED CHICKEN & MY PICKLED SHRIMP

FRIDAY DINNER:ITALIAN COASTAL FISH FEAST WITH WHOLE GULF AMBERJACK PLUS RACK OF LAMB

SATURDAY LUNCH: BIG, BAD SANDWICH BAR WITH LOBSTER, SHRIMP, STEAK & FRIED OYSTERS

SATURDAY DINNER:CUBAN CHRISTMAS WITH WHOLE PIG ROAST, TENDERLOIN WITH CHIMICHURRI

SUNDAY BRUNCH: FRITTATA, PRIME RIB, BIG PORK PLATTERS, SALADS AND BLOODY MARY BAR

SUNDAY DINNER: CRAB AND LOBSTER TOWER, WHOLE RED SNAPPER, CITRUS FISH IN PARCHMENT 

 

I want to thank my team for their hard work in producing such delicious food; it was the talk of the festival! Our weekend warriors included Chef Wesley True of True Midtown Kitchen, Mobile, Alabama Governor's Mansion Executive Chef Jim Smith, Chef Will Hughes, Chef Cassie Powers, Chef Wes Shepherd, BBQ Brad O'Rear, Kim Asbury Wilson, Nicole Hutto, Meaghan Hutto, Amanda Bell, Shannon Bell, Devon Williamson, Brittany Curran, Kalin Brunell, and my amazing assistants Lauren Scoggan and the always incredible Caroline Sayre. Caroline's husband Tyler even chipped in to help when we needed it. Remarkable dedication and remarkable execution. Thank you all!

 

Eco-Friendly Party Ideas for Weddings, Mother's Day, Birthdays, or Just Because!

I am getting more and more requests for Eco-Friendly ideas and concepts for weddings, parties, birthdays, etc. If you want to be eco-friendly, think about using items you can either reuse, recycle, or re-purpose. An old wine box becomes a cheese board. Flats of flowers are pretty for decorations and go on to have new life in the garden. There are lots of pretty new bio-degradable paper products you can find now and when you use fruits, veggies and other food items for decorations, you can EAT them after the party! Here are some simple and fun suggestions for your next get-together, just in time for Earth Day, Arbor Day, Mother's Day, and Spring planting season!

Here are some tips and favorite images from over the years...

Use plants, trees, herbs, pots or flats of flowers, mini-shrubs, or mini-evergreens like lemon cypress. Wrap in burlap, put in a tin can, put them in market baskets, etc. They look pretty and you can use them in the yard after the party. 

You can find lots of eco-friendly serving pieces, plates, etc these days. Melamine is awesome; you can reuse it over and over again. There is also lots of new bio-degradable products that look beautiful  instead of institutional. You can find these at any party store.

 

Use wood... rugged, rustic and it lasts forever. We cut wood rounds from a fallen tree to use for trivets, stacking and candle holders for a wedding 3 years ago and have used them many times since.

Use fruit and veggies that compliment your menu for decorations... and eat them after. Yum.

You will be shocked at what you can reuse, repurpose or recycle. I used the top of a wooden wine box for this cheese board presentation! Lightly sand it and wash it thoroughly before using it.

Grass flats make everything look fresh and Spring and are the perfect palate to work from for decorating for just about any occasion. If you use wheat grass, you can even juice it and drink it afterward. Yuck.

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Plan a Wedding in a Week? Yes, I Did!

When a lifelong friend and longtime bachelor calls you on April Fool's Day and says... "I got engaged yesterday and I want to get married THIS coming Saturday"... the normal reaction is to bust out laughing. Which I did. But when he says he's serious, it is time to jump on the planning ASAP. Here's how I pulled together a beautiful, sentimental family wedding for 30 people in only one week. And here are the photos to prove it.

When you have less than a week to pull together a wedding, you don't have time to procrastinate and stress about the decisions you are making. You have to make decisions and move on... and that's what we did. No time to sweat the little things! Trusting your planner is essential:)

I 

   

I was the ovendor for just about everything. I was the planner, the chef, the florist, and even rental delivery... just about everything. What I could not make, I purchased. The one vendor I did hire was the photographer, Mo Davis from Arden Photography. Mo is a rock star, capturing every moment and every detail. Advice to brides: don't skimp on the photos. The pictures and the memories last a lifetime. AND I must thank my sweet friends Jared and Corey from The Sonnet House in Leeds, Alabama. Corey made the lovely bridal bouquet and boutonnieres... aren't they beautiful!

 

There was nothing but a bathhouse and a gorgeous lake on the remote property so we had to create everything, including a makeshift kitchen for the food service.

For the decor, the couple wanted a rustic theme to fit the farm setting so we used bales of pine straw, pots of spring flowers, branches, burlap, moss, Mason jars, rustic lanterns, and lots of candles. The pine straw along with the flats and pots of spring flowers were used at the front gate and also for the ceremony site. The couple has already planted those in their yard to enjoy all summer long.

 

We continued the rustic theme throughout the decor and for the food service. Wooden serving trays, cutting boards, bowls were all used. Charcuterie of cured meats, cheeses, and sausages plus grilled lamb pops were waiting for guests after the ceremony. For the main course, we kept it down on the farm with smoked pulled pork over organic grits and collard greens. For dessert, the two-tiered wedding cake was vanilla butter cream and filled with layers of homemade lemon curd and raspberry preserves. Since there was going to be a fire in the fire pit after dark, I made my signature s'mores with Nutella instead of a groom's cake and also made plenty as favors for guests to take home.

 

   

A lifetime of happiness to my sweet friends... thank you for letting me be a part of your day! Thanks to my assistant Caroline, my grill master Brad, Lauren, Kristal, and Sohaila along with Mo and Jared and Corey from the Sonnet House in Leeds! You made this easy!

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