Maryland Fried - Chicken

Maryland Fried Chicken

1 - 3 pound frying chicken cut into serving pieces
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Wash chicken pieces and soak in milk or buttermilk for 30 minutes.  Drain but do not dry.  Sprinkle salt liberally on both sides.  Place the flour, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt into a medium size brown paper bag.  Add chicken.  Close top of bag and shake so all pieces are coated evenly and well.  Remove chicken pieces and shake to remove excess flour.  Put on rack and Carefully place chicken pieces in skillet side by side, fleshy side down.  Cook rapidly a few minutes, making sure pieces have a firm but very light brown crust on the bottom.  Turn each piece as it reaches  this stage until all are turned.  Continue cooking one minute over high heat.  Reduce head to low and cover skillet.  Cook 20 to 30 minutes until cooked through.

Remove cover and turn heat up again to highest level.  Turn each piece as the bottom becomes golden, but not too brown, and quite crisp.  The top surface of the chicken pieces will have a soft, soggy appearance but a few minutes of hight heat crisping will restore the pieces to golden crispness.  Remove pieces to drain on paper towels.  Serve with chicken cream gravy.

--- Maryland's chicken industry is concentrated in rural sections of the lower Eastern Shore, where one grower can raise thousands of birds in a single barn like "house".  The business is Maryland's largest agricultural endeavor, contributing almost $1 billion to the state's economy.

This is postmarked in 2016.