Whew – we’ve had a lot of family visiting, and the week has flown by!  We’ve gotten a lot of lovely time by the lake with Ben’s family, and now my dad and brother are here with us.

I realized it had been a while since I shared a recipe, so I thought I’d give you this, which my brother Graham made for us last night.  Some of you may not know that I’m from the South originally, so when I say that this was some mighty tasty fried chicken, I’ve done my research. It’s more of a method than a recipe, but honestly, that’s my favorite kind.

Graham’s Kickin Fried Chicken

about 1 qt frying oil (we used rendered lard – oh yeah)

1 chicken, quartered

buttermilk to cover (about 2 cups)

Batter:

1 cup cornmeal

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp pepper

other spices, to taste (at home, Graham uses a Cajun spice blend)

First, get your fat heating (med-high heat) in a large heavy-bottomed pot (we used a 5 qt Le Creuset).  Next, start soaking your chicken in the buttermilk.  While those are going, mix together the batter ingredients in  paper shopping bag.  After your fat has been heating and chicken soaking for 20-30 minutes, shake as many pieces of chicken in the bag as you can fit into the pot in one layer.  Shake em up good, then gently lower them into your pot (tongs work well for this job).  Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the bottom is really golden brown, then flip and cook another 10 minutes or so.  Serve immediately, and repeat with any remaining pieces.  If you like, you can make a big mess of gravy with the leftover grease, batter mix, and buttermilk.  We ate ours with fresh pickles, potatoes and parsley from the garden, and coleslaw.  Yum!