Nashville Style Hot Chicken

November17

If you love spicy food, I mean, really, really LOVE all things fiery and flavorful, then you’re ready for Nashville Style Hot Chicken.

What makes Nashville Style Hot Chicken so unique is the “sauce” that is brushed, dipped or poured over the chicken just before serving.

I’m telling you, this atomic fried chicken is guaranteed to burn your face off. Ah, the eye-watering pain. The mouth-burning agony. It hurts (and tastes) so good.

Yes, there are a lot of spicy fried chicken recipes out there. But what makes Nashville Style Hot Chicken so unique is the “sauce” that is brushed, dipped or poured over the chicken just before serving. That sauce is so delicious; you have to serve it with a slice or two of good old-fashioned white bread to soak up all the drippy goodness.

Oh, and you definitely need some good pickles to gussy-up the plate. That’s part of the presentation. You don’t want to go to all the trouble of making Nashville Style Hot Chicken and leave off a traditional garnish!

Several (now famous) places in Nashville have been serving Hot Chicken for decades. But as we all know, it only takes one hip website or famous food show star to get the rest of the country clamoring for the next BIG THING RIGHT NOW.

But what in the world is Nashville Style Hot Chicken anyway? How it came into being is absolutely fascinating, but, then again, I love food history and how it defines our culture, and in this case, a city.

Give a read to Dr. Rachel Martin’s post on the website The Bitter Southerner to understand how Nashville’s so-called signature dish stayed hidden in plain sight for so long before exploding into the mainstream.

What makes Nashville Style Hot Chicken so unique is the “sauce” that is brushed, dipped or poured over the chicken just before serving.

Hattie B’s in Nashville, which offers five heat levels, including “Shut the Cluck Up”, inspired my Nashville Style Hot Chicken recipe. I’ve changed it a bit by adding some spices to the flour. Like Hattie B’s recipe, I dredge the chicken pieces (breasts, thighs and legs only) twice in the flour before frying.

But I don’t add quite as much cayenne pepper as Hattie B’s because, well, I may be a little high strung, but I’m not crazy.

Read this recipe all the way through before you begin. I just heard you gasp. That’s right, one of the ingredients in the secret sauce is one cup of the hot oil from the skillet where the chicken is fried.

But, like I always say, you don’t eat like this every day, and I know how much you love fried chicken!

What makes Nashville Style Hot Chicken so unique is the “sauce” that is brushed, dipped or poured over the chicken just before serving.


National Waffle Day!

August24


It's National Waffle Day: http://mamashighstrung.com/blog/?p=6338

There’s something special about homemade waffles.

Maybe it’s all those little honeycombed nooks where butter, syrup and other sweet liquids can hide, infusing the waffle with flavor.

Or maybe it’s the anticipation of the crisp waffle, just waiting for a dusting of powdered sugar or a pile of fresh berries.

They really don’t take long to mix-up or to cook… it just seems like it because we’re so used to quick-serve toaster-heated frozen waffles (a very poor substitute for the real thing).

I always double the recipe so I can freeze some for later in the week. After the waffles cool, I slip a sheet of waxed paper between each one and freeze six of them together in a gallon size Ziploc® Freezer Bags.

Today is National Waffle Day so surprise everyone by mixing up a batch. Even if you don’t make extra, everyone will know why homemade waffles are so special… just like you.


Plated + Served: Easy Oven-Roasted Chicken Breasts

February6

Cold. Cold. Cold. Outside of my house.

Warm. Warm. Warm. Inside of my kitchen.

Turn up the oven and let the intoxicating smell of these Easy Oven-Roasted Chicken Breasts bring the family to the table. Make sure you rub the garlicky paste under the chicken’s skin so it will crisp up and brown beautifully. Watch the time and temperature… you don’t want them dry!

It may be winter outside, but this dish will warm everyone up on the inside!

Skillet Fried Chicken

January23

Must be the weather. Mama’s been seeing a lot of fried chicken recipes lately… and they all look fabulous.

Check out the January 2012 cover of  bon appétit magazine. A woman sitting next to me on the train was reading it, so I hit the newsstand as soon as the train pulled into the station.

Funny thing… the recipe is almost EXACTLY like my recipe. But the magazine offers up some really excellent tips that guarantee crisp and crunchy chicken.

GP was also hypnotized by the magazine’s cover. “THAT’s what I want for my birthday dinner,” he announced. So, since everyone in the fam gets to pick his or her birthday dinner, that’s what I made: Skillet Fried Chicken inspired by bon appétit.

I already know what you’re thinking:
1. It’s too greasy. No, if the oil is the proper temperature, it’s not greasy at all.
2. It’s too fattening. This is a special occasion. We’re not eating like this everyday.
3. It’s too messy. Like any cooking project, if you are organized, you can control the chaos.
4. It takes too much time. Yes, yes it does. This is not a 15 second microwave burrito. But in order to create enchantment, you have to invest a little bit of time (and a little bit of yourself!).

Really good Skillet Fried Chicken does take a little work, but oh my goodness is it worth it!

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi…
I’m Christina Chavez

I was a TV journalist for many years, but with a house full of kids I decided to come off the road, go to culinary school and follow my passion for cooking. Mama’s High Strung is all about food… everything from creative recipe ideas to some really cool kitchen gadgets and cooking tips. I live in Chicago, but I love to travel and write about my food discoveries! You can reach me by email: mamashighstrung@gmail.com