Honey-fried chicken with thyme-mint cream sauce

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 Chicken (3-3.5 lb)
½ cup Honey
2 tablespoons Raspberry or other fruit vinegar
½ cup Flour
2 tablespoons Whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons Cayenne pepper
2 Eggs
¼ cup Buttermilk
1 cup Vegetable oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Thyme-Mint Cream Sauce

Directions

In his book "The New Texas Cuisine" (Doubleday), Stephen Pyles writes that if he had to choose one last meal, it would be this fried chicken. Craig Claiborne liked it so much when he tasted it at Routh Street Cafe, the Dallas restaurant Pyles once owned, that he included the recipe in his book "Craig Claiborne's Southern Cooking" (without crediting Pyles).

Cut chicken into six serving pieces and place in a mixing bowl, reserving backbone, neck and wings for stock. Stir honey and vinegar together and pour over chicken. Marinate at least 2 hours, mixing occasionally.

In separate mixing bowl, combine flour, whle-wheat flour and cayenne.

Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and buttermilk.

In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat to exactly 300'F.

(Be sure to use reliable cooking thermometer. Honey coating on chicken will burn if oil is too hot. Too cool, chicken will be greasy.)

Remove chicken from marinade and drain on paper towels. Dip chicken pieces in egg wash, season with salt and pepper to taste and dredge in flour-cayenne mixture, coating thoroughly. When all chicken pieces are coated, strain marinade and reserve 1 tablespoon for sauce.

Gently drop dark meat chicken pieces in hot oil and cook until browned on one side, 5-6 minutes. Turn pieces over. Add white meat pieces and continue cooking, adjusting heat so chicken browns evenly without burning. Turn pieces again. Remove pieces as they become browned on both sides and tender when pierced with fork. Dark meat should cook 15-18 minutes total, white meat 10-12 minutes. Transfer chicken to 200'F. oven and keep warm while making sauce. Serve with Thyme-Mint Cream Sauce.

Each serving, with sauce, contains about: 1,094 calories; 246 milligrams sodium; 237 milligrams cholesterol; 85 grams fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 38 grams protein; 0.35 gram fiber.

Submitted By MICHAEL ORCHEKOWSKI On 08-07-95

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