Buttermilk Fried Chicken With Dill Food

CHEESE CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside.
• Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, kosher salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl and set aside. Whisk together the butter, buttermilk and eggs in a bowl and stir to combine. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and stir until smooth, then fold in the Cheddar cubes, grated Parmesan and 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar on top of the batter and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbling, the cornbread bounces back when pressed with a finger and a cake tester comes out clean, 10 minutes more.

THE BEST BUTTERMILK WAFFLES

Steps:

• Preheat a waffle iron to medium-high.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Whisk the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until a batter is formed. Whisk in the butter until incorporated, being careful not to overmix the batter.
• Spray both sides of the preheated waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in enough batter to lightly cover the surface of the iron, about 1/3 to 3/4 cup, depending on its size. (Take into consideration that the batter will spread once the lid is closed.) Close the iron and cook until the waffles are a deep golden brown and slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. (If the waffle iron has a well-seasoned or nonstick surface, it may not be necessary to spray it between each batch.)
• Serve the waffles immediately with butter, syrup, jam, berries or yogurt.

BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the marinade, in a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, shallot, garlic, jalapeño, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
• With a rolling pin or a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of parchment paper until they are evenly 1/2 inch thick. Slice each chicken breast in half crosswise so you have 2 pieces approximately the same size.
• Add the chicken to the marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours but not more than 24 hours.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, celery salt, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper and set aside.
• When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Place a sheet pan with a baking rack on it in the oven.
• Pour the oil into a medium (9-inch round x 4 1/2-inch high) Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, fitted with a candy thermometer, until the oil is 2 inches deep. Heat the oil over high heat until the temperature reaches 350 degrees.
• Meanwhile, lift the chicken from the marinade, dredge it well in the flour mixture, submerge it again in the marinade, then dredge again in the flour mixture, dusting off the excess. Transfer the chicken to a plate or sheet pan until ready to fry.
• When the oil is 350 degrees, lower three pieces only(!) carefully into the oil with a slotted spoon and adjust the heat to keep the oil at 350 degrees. Don't crowd the chicken! Cook for 5 minutes exactly, turning once to brown evenly. With the slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the sheet pan in the oven to keep warm. Fry the remaining three pieces, sprinkle all the chicken with salt, and serve hot.

BUTTERMILK CHEDDAR CORN CAKES

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
• Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the wet ingredients.
• Whisk together the egg and buttermilk in a large mixing bowl. While whisking, pour in the melted butter and stir until combined. Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined. (Be sure not to overwork the batter.) Fold in the Cheddar, corn, if using, and chives.
• Place the skillet over medium heat and add enough butter to coat the bottom. Ladle about 1/2 cup batter into the pan, spreading gently to form a thick circle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip over and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Melt a small pat of butter in the skillet in between each batch (this will help the corn cakes rise). Serve immediately, with more butter and maple syrup, if desired.

FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put the chicken pieces into a large bowl. Cover the chicken with water by 1 inch; add 1 tablespoon of salt for each quart of water used. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• In a large shallow platter, mix the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne until well blended; season generously with salt and pepper. In another platter combine the buttermilk and hot sauce with a fork and season with salt and pepper.
• Drain the chicken and pat it dry. Dredge the pieces, a few at a time, in the flour mixture,
• then dip them into the buttermilk; dredge them again in the seasoned flour. Set aside and let the chicken rest while you prepare the oil.
• Put about 3 inches of oil into a large deep pot; it should not come up more than half way. Add the thyme, rosemary, sage, and garlic to the cool oil and heat over medium-high heat until the oil registers 350 to 365 degrees F on one of those clip-on deep-fry thermometers. The herbs and garlic will perfume the oil with their flavor as the oil comes up to temperature.
• Once the oil has reached 350 to 365 degrees F, working in batches, carefully add the chicken pieces 3 or 4 at a time. Fry, turning the pieces once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Total cooking time should be about 30 minutes. When the chicken is done, take a big skimmer and remove the chicken pieces and herbs from the pot, shaking off as much oil as you can, and lay it on a tea towel or brown paper bag to soak up the oil. Sprinkle all over with more salt and a dusting of cracked black pepper. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Once all the chicken is fried, scatter the fried herbs and garlic over the top. Serve hot, with big lemon wedges.

BUTTERMILK PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and lemon zest. Whisk in the eggs, 1at a time. Stir in the buttermilk and melted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the pie shell and bake until the top is lightly browned and the center sets, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Slice the pie into individual servings. Garnish with the whipped cream and mint.

POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.
• When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in quarters or in half, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

BROWN BUTTER BUTTERMILK DONUTS

Steps:

• For the donuts: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Let it cook on low heat, swirling occasionally while it crackles and hisses, until the crackling stops and the milk solids in the butter smell toasty and nutty and have turned golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the stove and let cool to room temperature.
• Combine the cake flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl, whisk together and set aside.
• In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the melted butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest. Add the almond extract, whole egg and egg yolk and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk and mix just until a soft dough forms. Remove onto a piece of plastic wrap, flatten out to a disc, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight if you want to make the night before and finish in the morning).
• Unwrap the dough onto a liberally floured surface and pat out with your hands (or you can use a rolling pin) to 3/4 inch thick. Using a 3- to 4-inch glass or round cutter, punch out as many dough circles as you can and place on a baking sheet. Reroll until all the dough is cut. Using a small bottle cap or a round pastry tip, cut a hole in the center of each donut (you can use these pieces to test the oil or to have as snacks). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. It is important that the dough is cold when frying (chilled dough is easier to handle and results in a nicer crust with well-defined cracks).
• Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350 degrees F.
• For the glaze: Right before frying the donuts, combine the powdered sugar, buttermilk, almond extract, salt and lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
• When the oil is hot, carefully drop the donuts in the oil (2 to 3 at a time; do not crowd the pot). They will sink to the bottom but pop up after 15 to 20 seconds (don't disturb them during this time). Fry, flipping frequently, until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oil onto a rack.
• While still warm but cool enough to handle, drop each donut into the glaze, flip to coat the entire thing, then let set on the rack. These are the best right away, but they actually keep pretty well for a day or two because they are very moist.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with butter or line with parchment paper.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Combine until the ingredients are incorporated. Cut in the butter using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and gently mix until the mixture just begins to come together.
• Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Pat the dough into a 10 by 12-inch rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 2-inch squares or use a 2-inch round cutter to cut out biscuits. Press together the scraps of dough, and repeat the process. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with the black pepper. Bake the biscuits until lightly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Brush the tops with the melted butter. Cool on a baking rack.