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Savory and Spicy Fried Chicken with Cream Gravy and Southern Greens

Adapted from a recipe by Stephen Pyles, my favorite Chef, I changed a few things to incorporate our seasonings for a repeat performer. He gets all the credit for this FABULOUS combination of flavors. The secret is soaking chicken in buttermilk and minced garlic overnight to tenderize it. My favorite cookbook of his is New Tastes from Texas.
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Southern
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

Savory and Spicey Fried Chicken

  • 2 cups Buttermilk
  • 5 cloves Garlic, crushed
  • 1-1/2 tbsp Awesome Antler Rub
  • 1 3 pound Frying chicken
  • 1 cup All-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp Cayenne pepper
  • vegetable oil for frying

Herbed Cream Gravey

  • 1/2 cup Dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup Chicken stock
  • 1-1/2 cups Half & half
  • 2 tbsp Fresh, chopped thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp Fresh lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp Raspberry vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 1/2 tsp Awesome Antler Rub

Wilted Southern Greens

  • 3/4 cup Rehydrated tart dried cherries, chopped
  • 4 ounces Bacon, diced
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup EVOO
  • 2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar
  • 2 sprigs Rosemary (leaves), chopped
  • 1/2 cup Pecans, toasted and chopped
  • 2 Granny Smith apples cored and coarsely chopped
  • 1 bunch Collard greens, rinsed, remove the main thick stem and dry on a towel
  • 1 bunch Mustard greens, rinsed, remove the main thick stem and dry on a towel
  • 1 tsp Black Dog Belly Rub

Instructions
 

Spicy Fried Chicken

  • Combine buttermilk, garlic and Antler Rub in a non-reactive bowl.
    Place chicken pieces in mixture and chill overnight, turn a couple of times.
    Combine flour, Antler Rub and cayenne pepper in a bowl and mix.
    Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
    Pour enough oil into a cast-iron skillet to come up 1/2". Heat the oil to 360 degrees. Remove the dark meat from the buttermilk mixture and shake off excess milk. Dredge chicken thighs in the flour mixture, then carefully add it to the hot oil, adjust the temperature as needed to maintain a temperature of 315, (so the chicken is frying). Cook dark meat about 12 to 15 minutes per side and the juices run clear when pierced. Remove the chicken to a paper towel-lined cookie and sheet and put it into the warm oven until ready to serve. Allow the oil to warm back up to 360 and repeat the process with the white meat. Add the white meat to the cookie sheet and keep warm while you make the gravy and greens.

Herbed Cream Gravy

  • Discard all the oil from the cast-iron skillet once it has cooled. Heat the skillet and deglaze with the white wine to dissolve any particles from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half. Stir in the cream, thyme, lemon zest, Antler Rub, and vinegar; continue to reduce until the sauce is thick enough to coat a wooden spoon and is the consistency of gravy, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add honey and set aside. Serve over the fried chicken and with wilted greens.

Wilted Southern Greens

  • Cook the bacon in a large skillet until all the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside. Saute the shallots and garlic in the bacon fat until soft. Whisk in the oils and vinegars. Stir in rosemary, pecans, apples, chopped cherries and cook for a minute. Add the greens, Black Dog Belly Rub and toss until they are just wilted about 30 to 40 seconds. Garnish with the cooked bacon.
Keyword Chicken recipe, dinner recipe, Fried chicken