'Fried' chicken

The discussion of knoefla with its cream sauce reminded me of my grandmother's 'fried' chicken as my dad described it. I don't actually recall the dish, but Dad said it was the only way really liked chicken. He, in his restrained way, told me that though he never told and never would have told my mother. Grandma would dredge the chicken in flour and spices and then fry hard in lard--to the point of almost burning. She would then drain the fat, lower the heat, and fill the pan with heavy cream. This would simmer on the back of the stove until the chicken was cooked through and fall apart tender. Meat and gravy all in one pot. Growing up eating like that makes it a wonder that Dad lived to be 99.

My mother would make fried chicken the same way, maybe not to the point of almost burning, but otherwise the same, with the pan gravy. Now that I think about it, she used milk, rather than cream...and a smaller amount in the pan, just enough to thicken the drippings to a smooth gravy.

Get some pan-fried biscuits and you've got some good eats!