First Attempt at Fried Chicken OH MAN!

Fried Chicken ~ My first REAL attempt!

I know this is probably astonishing to think with all the things I have cooked, recipe's I have prepared after watching on tv or looking into the fridge and just making a dish up with the ingredients that I have in there, but I have never really made a legitimate attempt at really great fried chicken....until today!  I don't know what it was this day that I had to create the best fried chicken I had ever made but the thought was in my head and my mouth was watering at the thought so I made the attempt.  Here is how it went.

Well I have to say I was very pleased with the outcome. The crust was crispy and flavorful. The meat was juicy. I have to say I was very proud of myself. I even managed to make a great collard green.  The mashed potatoes and gravy really rounded the dish out and all in all I have to say the boys really enjoyed dinner.



The kitchen will never be the same...making fried chicken is a labor of love, although the outcome is well worth it the cleanup is intense. Several bowls, grease splatters...but don't let that deter you...

Be very careful when you are placing the chicken in the extremely hot oil. It splatters when you are submerging the meat.

Just look at those beauties! My mouth was so watering...I almost couldn't contain myself. After I let them sit over a wire rack with paper towels underneath I placed the chicken on a tinfoil covered baking sheet and placed it in a slightly warm oven while I prepared the rest of the meal. I think this also helped with the out of this world crispiness of the chicken!

Chopping the collard greens. Discard the stems they are very tough.

Although I got some wonderful information from some of my southern friends on facebook about cooking collard greens, I didn't happen to have a ham hock handy so I sautéed the greens in bacon at and added a pinch of sugar and nutmeg...yummy! I added the diced bacon when the greens had wilted.