Fried Chicken with Tomato Gravy Recipe

Fried Chicken with Tomato Gravy

5.0

(2)

2 Reviews

In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best: Chef Scott Peacock first met the venerable Edna Lewis when they cooked a fundraising dinner together in Georgia in 1990. The two shared a love for Southern cuisine and went on to forge a deep friendship, eventually publishing a book together called The Gift of Southern Cooking. Taste and authenticity were paramount for both cooks, and this spectacular fried chicken, which was originally published in F&W in March 2000, speaks to that. The bird is double brined; dredged in a mix of flour, cornstarch, and potato starch; and fried in a trinity of lard, butter, and bacon fat. Serve it and the tomato gravy with Lewis' light, fluffy, irresistible biscuits.

Scott Peacock

Updated on January 4, 2022

Fried Chicken with Tomato Gravy and The Best Biscuits — Chef Scott Peacock first met the venerable Edna Lewis when they cooked a fundraising dinner together in Georgia in 1990. The two shared a love for Southern cuisine and went on to forge a deep friendship, eventually publishing a book together called The Gift of Southern Cooking. Taste and authenticity were paramount for both cooks, and this spectacular fried chicken speaks to that. The bird is double brined; dredged in a mix of flour, cornstarch, and potato starch; and fried in a trinity of lard, butter, and bacon fat. Serve it with Lewis’ light, fluffy, irresistible biscuits. Photo: Greg DuPree

Yield:

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Ingredients

1/2 cup kosher salt
2 quarts cold water
One 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons potato starch (optional)
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound lard or solid vegetable shortening, for frying
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/4 pound sliced bacon
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups drained canned diced tomatoes (from three 14-ounce cans)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve the kosher salt in the cold water. Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Drain and rinse the chicken. Put the chicken in a large bowl, add the buttermilk and turn the pieces to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
In a large, sturdy plastic bag, combine the flour, cornstarch, potato starch, 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and shake. Set aside 1/2 cup of the flour mixture for the gravy. Lift the chicken out of the buttermilk, wipe off any excess and set the pieces on a wire rack; let dry for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, a few pieces at a time, to the flour mixture in the bag; shake to coat. Dry the rack. Shake off any excess flour and return the chicken to the rack.
Meanwhile, in a large cast-iron skillet, melt the lard and butter. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat until crisp, about 5 minutes; reserve the bacon for another use. Add the chicken, in batches, if necessary, and cook over moderate heat, turning, until golden, crisp and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Lower the heat if necessary. Set the chicken on a clean wire rack to drain.
Transfer 1/4 cup of the chicken cooking fat to a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved 1/2 cup of seasoned flour and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and thyme and stir constantly until blended. Whisk in the cream and milk until the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and no floury taste remains, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the fried chicken to a platter. Pour the tomato gravy into a gravy boat and serve with the chicken.