Picnic Essentials

Mmm-Mmm, finger lickin' good.  What's that make you think of?  For me, fried chicken!

I don't know about you, but I love fried chicken and find it to be the perfect accompaniment on any picnic.  I decided this weekend would be a great time to indulge a little and make fried chicken for a picnic with my husband.  I know there are a lot of recipes out there for fried chicken and I'm sure you've made it yourself a time or two, but this is my way, and I am sure you will find it to be scrumptious.

1 whole chicken, cut up
3 cups buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicier)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Place in a large bowl.  Pour buttermilk over the chicken, cover and refrigerate for about two hours.

Drain chicken in a colander.  Place pieces on a large baking sheet and season both sides with some kosher salt and pepper.  Seasoning all the layers is important.

Place a cooling rack or whatever type of rack you have on a large baking sheet.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, cornstarch, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper.  (This mixture of flours along with the cornstarch are what makes it really crispy)  One piece at a time, with tongs, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, coating it all around.  Shake off excess and place on the rack.  Do this with all pieces.  Allow to sit for about a half an hour.  This is crucial.  Allowing the chicken to come up near room temperature and allowing the flour mixture to get a little pasty on the chicken really does make a huge difference. I promise.

In a large dutch oven or heavy pot, fill halfway with canola oil.  Be careful not to fill more than halfway, because when you put the chicken in the oil bubbles and rises some.  Place a candy/deep fry thermometer on the pot.  It is very important to have the correct temperature while frying chicken.  Don't guess!  Heat oil on high or just below high heat until it reaches 350 degrees.  Once the oil reaches 350 degrees, place the chicken in one piece at a time, using tongs, being careful not to splash the oil.  You will fry all of the dark meat in one batch and all of the white meat in one batch.

Cook dark meat 15 minutes, turning over occasionally, and cook white meat 10 minutes, turning over occasionally.  The temperature will drop down to about 325 degrees (you do not want it any lower than this).  325 degrees is optimal to try and maintain.  Adjust the heat as needed to maintain this temperature to achieve the perfect fried chicken.

While the chicken is cooking, clean up your baking sheet and rack.  Line the baking sheet with paper towels and place the rack on top of the paper towels.

When the chicken is done, place it on the rack you just prepared.  Do not place it on a paper towel directly; placing it on the rack keeps it from one side getting soggy and keeps it crispy all around, as well as letting all of the oil drip away.

That's it.  You have perfect fried chicken for your picnic now!

I also made wild rice salad to go with it.

1 box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice
Juice of one lemon
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 tbsp. tarragon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Cook the wild rice according to the package directions.  Place in a bowl and allow to cool completely.

Mix together the lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil and set aside.  Add chopped veggies, tarragon, salt and pepper to the rice and toss together.  Add the dressing and toss together gently.  Cover and chill for at least one hour.

We went to Mt. Diablo State Park, which was absolutely beautiful.

And this was our picnic spot.

I hope you get to go on a picnic soon and enjoy the beautiful outdoors and some great food. Everything just seems to taste better when eaten outside.

Until next time...

Lady by the Bay

Best Buds

Best buds really is an understatement, but I just couldn't come up with a better description at the moment.  These two love each other so much and are always together.  I caught them sleeping today, the way they always sleep (spooning), and had to take a picture.

Not a whole lot has been going on and I kind of dropped the ball on remembering to photograph/log recipes as I cooked the past week.  So I thought instead I'd just share a few pictures of some cute doggies.  Who doesn't like pictures of cute doggies???  Basically this is about as exciting as it's been this past week. :)

Until next time...

Lady by the Bay