Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken drums, thighs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp fresh thyme minced
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Club crackers ground
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 cups canola oil for frying
- 1 bunch fresh sage
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl, and add the buttermilk, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, the thyme, and 2 of the garlic cloves. Marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and set a baking sheet fitted with a rack on the middle shelf.
- Meanwhile, prepare the chicken coating: Combine the flour, the ground crackers, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and the paprika in a large bowl. One at a time, take the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and dunk them in the flour dredge, pressing hard to make the coating adheres. Set aside on a plate.
- In a large, high-sided cast-iron pan, add oil to a depth of 1 inch. Heat over medium-high heat until a droplet of water sprinkled on the surface sizzles loudly.
- Add as many pieces of dark meat (thighs, wings, and drumsticks) as will fit comfortably in the pan. Fry, turning as needed, until all sides turn dark golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to the baking sheet in the oven. Continue frying the rest, saving the white breast meat until last, and being careful not to burn the residue forming at the bottom the pan; that’s your gravy base. When it is browned, add the chicken to the baking sheet. (Ideally the dark meat should bake in the oven for about 20 minutes and the light meat for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.)
- Pour off most of the fat in the pan, leaving 2 tablespoons of oil and the brown sludge at the bottom of the pan. (But if any of it looks burnt, discard that as well, because that is the base of your gravy.) Let the pan cool down for a minute. Then add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and the sage, and fry for 1 minute. Add corn starch and cook, stirring, until the mixture is smooth and light brown, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and whisk until smooth. Cook the gravy over low heat until it thickens softly, about 5 minutes.
- Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste, remove the garlic and sage, and pour it into a spouted pitcher.
Notes
Remember to wear an apron. The oil may spatter so be mindful of arms so not burn them, maybe use tongs to place chicken in pan.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!