Deep Fried Mushroom Black Olive Chicken Food

SOUTHERN STYLE DEEP-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a medium container place chicken and cover with milk. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to overnight. This helps tenderize the meat, but is optional
• In a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, transfer chicken into pot, then pour in the milk. Bring milk to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the milk, and place on a rack to cool. Allow them to sit until warm about 15 minutes, and then pat dry.
• Heat vegetable shortening in a Dutch oven or skillet over high heat just until it's near the smoking point around 325 degrees F.
• In a large zip-lock bag, add salt, flour, cayenne pepper, shake to combine.
• In a medium bowl, beat 1 egg.
• Place each piece of chicken, 1 at a time, in the bag and shake to coat the chicken. Then dip chicken into the egg to coat. Place the chicken back into the flour to coat for a second time. Repeat this method on remaining 3 pieces of chicken.
• Gently drop each piece of chicken into hot oil, allowing the skin to crisp and turn golden brown in color, about 1 minute per side. Remove from the oil and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
• Serve immediately.

FRIED OLIVES

Steps:

• Pour the olive oil into a medium saucepot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer. Place over medium heat and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Set up a dredging station by placing the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Working in batches, drop the olives into the flour and roll until evenly coated. Shake off any excess flour and place the olives into the egg. Coat the olives in the egg and lift out, allowing any excess egg to drip off. Roll the olives in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Set aside a baking sheet.
• Once the oil is hot, carefully add the basil leaves and lemon peels, being aware that the oil may pop. Fry just until crispy, about 30 seconds. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Working in batches, fry the olives until the breadcrumbs are crunchy and the cheese is soft, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly.
• Put the olives on a serving platter and crumble the fried basil and lemon zest over top. Sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, the honey, mustard, red-pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt; whisk until smooth. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper, then add to the mixture, coating it well. Set aside at room temperature, stirring it once while you make the onions.
• Heat a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high until very hot, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, then add the onions in an even layer. Season with salt, then cook, mostly undisturbed, for 4 minutes more, stirring every minute or so. Add the mushrooms, season with salt, and stir to combine. (It will look crowded, and that's OK.) Allow to cook mostly undisturbed until the mushrooms shrink and start to brown, about 4 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
• Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and allow the onions to cook until they start to color, stirring and lowering the heat as necessary to avoid burning, about 2 minutes. Push the onions and mushrooms to the edges of the skillet, then add the chicken pieces to the center. Pour any remaining marinade (there will be very little) over the onions and mushrooms. Cook undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes, then combine the chicken and vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes more. (Reduce the heat to medium if the onions look like they are burning at any point.)
• Add the remaining 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, stirring and scraping up anything on the bottom of the skillet. Season to taste with salt.
• Remove from the heat and top with the parsley and cheese, if using. Serve with bread or pasta.

DEEP-FRIED CHICKEN (BUT LOW FAT!)

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into pieces.
• Remove skin and extra fat from each piece (except wings -- too hard!).
• When all pieces are skinned and rinsed, salt each piece on both sides and put into a large bowl.
• Cover bowl and allow to sit in refrigerator overnight, if possible, but at least for an hour or two.
• Heat your recycled shortening (see below) in dutch oven.
• Pour milk into a medium bowl, and flour into another.
• When the shortening is hot enough, roll a piece of chicken in the flour, then dip into the milk, then roll in flour again.
• Carefully drop each piece into hot oil. If the shortening is hot enough, the chicken will float. Depending on the size of your kettle, a whole chicken might be 4-6 batches; just don't overload the kettle.
• Larger pieces may need to be turned over.
• Remove pieces with tongs when golden brown; place on paper towels to drain.
• Serve hot, but it's great cold the next day!
• Recycled shortening: Crisco, for example, comes in a 3-lb. "can" (in quotes because it's cardboard, not metal). The first time you make this chicken, use a full can. When the cooking is done and the shortening has cooled somewhat, pour the liquid into a container (metal coffee can, or similar) except for the brown sludge at the bottom (residue from flour, etc,) which is thrown out. Save the shortening, covered, in your refrigerator until next time. Add enough fresh shortening to the kettle to replace the part you threw out. P.S. When starting with all fresh shortening, adding a little bacon grease will improve flavor of your first batch of chicken.

MUSHROOM MELT STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the onion and mushrooms with salt and pepper until the mushrooms are dark and juicy, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in the bread crumbs. Set aside.
• Place each chicken breast half between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to an thickness of about 1/4 inch. Lay a flattened chicken breast out onto a work surface, and place a slice of ham on the chicken. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the mushroom stuffing onto the chicken breast, and top with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the Havarti cheese. Roll the chicken breast around the stuffing, wrap 2 slices of bacon firmly around each roll, and secure with toothpicks. Place the rolls into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink and the stuffing is melted and hot, about 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a roll should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove the chicken rolls from the oven, and place an oven rack about 6 inches from the oven's broiler heat source. Turn on the broiler, and broil the rolls until the bacon is brown, 5 to 10 more minutes.

BLACK MUSHROOM CHICKEN, DEEP-FRIED AND BRAISED

Steps:

• 1. Soak dried mushrooms. 2. Cut chicken in half and wipe with a damp cloth. Rub, inside and out, with soy sauce. Let stand 10 minutes. 3. Meanwhile slice ginger root. Shred bamboo shoot, water chestnuts and soaked mushrooms. Cut scallion stalks in 1-inch sections. 4. Heat oil to bubbling. Gently lower in chicken, one half at a time, and brown lightly. Drain on paper toweling. 5. Heat remaining oil. Add salt and ginger root stir-fry a few times. Add shredded vegetables and scallions stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes. 6. Stir in and heat water add sugar and pepper. Return chicken halves and bring to a boil then simmer. covered, until tender (about 20 minutes). 7. Remove chicken, leaving liquids in pan. Let bird cool slightly then chop, bones and all, in bite-size pieces. Arrange on a serving platter. 8. Gently reheat liquids in pan. Meanwhile blend cornstarch and remaining cold water to a paste then stir in to thicken. Pour sauce over chicken and serve. VARIATION: * In step 7, instead of chopping the chicken, disjoint and bone the legs and wings. Cut the breast meat in slices and arrange decoratively on a platter with legs and wings. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

DEEP FRIED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and garlic salt. Mix in egg and water until smooth.
• Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Test to see if oil is hot by frying a drop of batter. If it sizzles and floats to the top, the oil is ready.
• Dip mushrooms into the batter and then place in the hot oil. Fry a few at a time so they are not crowded, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.