Grandmas Secret Sauce Chicken Food

GRANDMA'S SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Brown the chicken: Heat 2 large skillets over high heat. Add half of the oil to each. Arrange the chicken on a tray in a single layer and season with salt. Turn the pieces over and season the other side. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, carefully add the chicken, skin side down, to the skillets, leaving space between each piece of chicken. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the chicken to brown on their first side, 5 to 8 minutes. Resist the temptation to move or turn the pieces. Use metal tongs to carefully turn the chicken pieces to their second side and brown 3 to 5 additional minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a tray and set aside.
• Prepare the garlic: Grate 6 of the cloves of garlic and set aside for the sauce. Cut the remaining 12 cloves in half lengthwise.
• Make the sauce: In one of the skillets you cooked the chicken in, add the cumin and coriander and stir rapidly over medium-low heat to give them a quick toast, 10 to 15 seconds. Immediately add the onions and grated garlic. Season with salt and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions turn light brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick, pepper flakes, bay leaves and tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes to cook, breaking them apart with a spoon as they cook, 8 to 10 minutes, and then add 1 cup water.
• Toast the garlic cloves: In the other skillet the you cooked the chicken in, arrange the garlic halves in a single layer in the cooking grease. Toast the garlic over low heat until golden brown and crisped, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the garlic from the skillet, sprinkle with salt and drain on a kitchen towel.
• Finish cooking the chicken: Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side up, in the sauce. Cover the skillet, keep the heat low and continue cooking until the pieces are cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cover and stir in the ginger, cream and vinegar. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 additional minutes.
• Test the center of a thigh to make sure the chicken is cooked through. It should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the juices should run "clear," not pink. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Top with the toasted garlic and serve immediately.

SIERRA'S GRANDMA'S SECRET BUFFALO WING SAUCE

Steps:

• Chicken Wing preparation: Heat 2 cups vegetable oil to 350 degrees F in a large skillet on stovetop. Drop wing pieces into hot oil and fry for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp. Transfer wings to paper towels to remove excess oil.
• Buffalo Wing Sauce: Melt butter and brown sugar together over medium heat in a small saucepan on stovetop. Add tomato sauce and hot sauce into mixture. Finally, add garlic, onion powder, white pepper, chili powder, salt, and oregano. Add a dash of beer, to taste. Stir over low heat until mixture is well blended.
• Toss sauce liberally over chicken wings. Serve buffalo wings with blue cheese dressing, carrots and/or celery sticks.

GRANDMA'S SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wash chicken pieces and place in a deep bowl. Cover with buttermilk and hot sauce, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Melt shortening in a cast iron skillet to a depth of about 1 inch.
• Heat to about 370º. (No thermometer needed, really. It'll get hot enough while chicken rests AFTER coating if you have your flame on about medium.) If it starts to smoke, turn it down immediately a bit.
• In a doubled brown paper lunch sack, mix together all of the dry ingredients.
• Remove chicken from bowl.
• Using additional seasoned salt and pepper, lightly coat to season chicken.
• Place chicken in bag, one piece at a time. Shake well until thoroughly coated.
• Dip each piece in the buttermilk and coat with flour once again.
• Shake off excess; place on waxed paper for 15 minutes or until dry.
• Place chicken, skin side down, in hot shortening.
• Do not crowd skillet.
• Brown until golden on bottom (good)(skin) side. When chicken pieces are golden on one side, turn pieces over, cover with tight fitting lid, and reduce heat to a simmer, turning chicken pieces ocaisionally, for 35 to 40 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken is tender. *When lid is placed on, and heat is reduced to a good simmer, the good side of pieces are the top sides. After about 10 minutes, turn back to skin-side down. After another 10 minutes or so, turn back to skin-side up for the last 10-15 minutes.).
• Uncover and cook 5 minutes longer for "crispy on the outside" crust. Remove at once, skipping this step, if a softer outside is preferred. My grandma and great aunts always drained their fried chicken on brown paper grocery bags. This seems to work best for me, too. Paper towels work "ok", too. *If doubling or making alot of chicken, or just wanting to keep it warm til the rest of your side dishes are done and ready to serve, place chicken on brown paper bag-lined cookie sheet in very low oven. GREAT cold, too!
• 4-6 servings.
• To make chicken fingers:.
• Use 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips about a 1/2-3/4 " thick. I skipped the buttermilk and hot sauce part, and dipped them into the flour mixture first, then into 1 egg beaten with about a half of a cup of half and half cream and a little hot sauce. Then back into the flour mixture. Worked out PERFECTLY. I lightly browned them in hot oil on one side, turned them, then put a lid on them. I then only cooked them for 8 minutes. I removed the lid, turned them and cooked them another minute. Drained them on paper towel.YUM!
• *One extra tip: Don't ever turn chicken by piercing with a fork, all the juices will run out and the meat will be dry. Always use tongs and have a sharp spatula handy to get underneath just in case a little bit wants to stick. You don't want to lose that good breading! :).

GRANDMA'S ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Cut chicken into small pieces and add enough water (or chicken broth) to cover.
• Season water with sea salt, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, sage, lemon juice & bay leaves.
• Some of the seasonings might seem like a lot but when you're boiling you have to make the water strong so the flavor gets into the chicken.
• Bring to a boil & cover, you don't want to boil too hard or all your water will evaporate.
• Let boil for 60 minutes or until chicken falls apart easily.
• While chicken is boiling, sauté onion in a small skillet, remove from skillet & set aside.
• Using the same skillet, add ½ cup oil & heat to medium/high, sprinkle with some salt.
• fry corn tortillas until lightly browned but not crispy (about 10 seconds per side), add more oil if needed until all tortillas are cooked.
• Once chicken is done reserve 2 cups chicken broth and shred chicken.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Put chili sauce in a wide bowl or sauce pan.
• Using tongs, dip cooked tortillas in chili sauce and layer the bottom of a 6x9 size casserole dish (should fit 2 across & 3 down).
• Add a layer of chicken, cheese, onions and sprinkle with chicken broth (I usually use a turkey baster).
• Repeat until the dish is full...this size dish should fit 3 layers. (tortilla, chicken, cheese, onion & broth).
• Sprinkle top of dish with more chili sauce and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. usually i turn the broiler on for a minute or two at the end to get the top crispy.
• Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
• i serve with shredded lettuce & diced tomato topped with taco sauce.
• Note: for a lower fat version, use low fat cheese & heat tortillas on the stove top instead of frying....the dark rings give them more flavor than steaming. For smaller dishes cut tortillas in half to fit one single later across the bottom.