Signed Sealed Delivered (Sheryl’s Fried Chicken)

This was a very busy week – and things are about to get even busier. We closed on our new home on Thursday afternoon. Now the work begins.

We attended our Closing Meeting Thursday afternoon. This was quite a different process than in California, where your Realtor tells you that Escrow has closed, brings more papers to be signed and hands you the key to your new home. In North Carolina, there is an actual meeting and the buyer is represented by an attorney who goes over the entire deal, explains things thoroughly and is there to represent you should things not go as planned. While our closing was without surprises and went smoothly, I couldn’t help that think that some of California’s real estate woes might have been avoided had buyers there been represented by legal counsel. But we’ll save that for a different kind of discussion in a different kind of blog.

By Friday morning, Steve had started to dial in the garage. Anyone who has been to one of our previous homes knows that my husband is a bit picky about garages. Good lighting, ample storage and gray indoor/outdoor carpet is a must. (Yes, we vacuum our garages – I was skeptical at first but am now a true believer.) Our new garage was a blank slate – and Steve was a man on a mission. Twenty-four hours after the closing, the shelving was in, the carpet installers were on their way home. And Steve was a happy man.

That evening we also continued a Billings (my maiden name) family tradition. It all started when my late mother closed on her first home in Chapel Hill and my brother and his wife brought over a celebratory dinner of Mama Dip’s fried chicken (the very best fried chicken I’ve ever had) and champagne. The tradition continued with subsequent home purchases by both my mother and my brother’s family. And at 6:15 p.m. Friday, the Billings clan hit our new doorstep with a finger-lickin’ spread with all the fixin’s; homemade brownies and, of course, a bit of the bubbly.

Nothing is more fun to kids than an empty house; and it was great to hear laughter and scampering feet and paws as our nephew Sam and niece Katie explored the upstairs rooms with our Scottie CurveBall.

Dinner was served on paper plates on our screen porch, and the kids checked out the tree house in one of our many trees. We talked of Thanksgiving, which we will host next month; and looked forward to being here for Christmas when Will comes home for his winter break from college.

We have a lot of work to do to make it our own and modernize appliances and fixtures. But our new house has good bones and the heartbeat of a family home.

Now for this week's recipe:

Truth be known, the last time I actually fried chicken, I was 23 years old and as I recall it was a disaster. My friend Sheryl, however, is known for her crispy pollo so I asked her to lend her recipe for this post. I gotta admit, it looks a little scary – she puts something called “Butter Buds” in her coating. (Really, Sheryl?) But everyone who has ever tasted Sheryl’s Fried Chicken has cried out for more.

As always I hope you Enjoy.

Sheryl's Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 frying chicken, cut into parts and brined for 6 hours (see below)
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 1 batch coating mixture (see below)
• Corn oil for frying

Method:

• Rinse and pat dry the brined chicken
• Marinade it over night in the buttermilk
• Put the coating mixture in a shallow bowl
• Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, piece by piece and dip it in the coating mix, to coat completely
• Heat about an inch of corn oil in a heavy skillet to 375 degrees
• Fry 3 or 4 pieces at a time.
• According to Sheryl, the trick is to wait until you turn the chicken until it comes up completely clean without losing any skin or coating. She says it’s a very relaxing experience.
• Once you can turn, do. And again and again until the coating is set and the juices run clear.
• If you turn too fast, you get a mess. So, like she said, just relax.

Coating mix:

Combine:

• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• ½ up parmesean cheese
• 2 Tbs Butter Buds Sprinkles (in the spice aisle, or diet food aisle)
• 2 Tbs paprika
• 1 Tbs garlic powder

To Brine Chicken:

I don’t make a production of brining – I just put a handful of kosher salt some fresh ground pepper and sometimes a crushed garlic clove in the bottom of a pot large enough to hold the chicken. Then cover with cold water and stash in the fridge for 2 – 6 hours. At the end of this time, I rise the bird, pat it dry and continue with my recipe. To learn more, here’s a good article from Cooks Illustrated.