TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

IT IS...

ADVERTISEMENT

By JEFF HOUCK

jhouck@tampatrib.com

Published: December 28, 2008

Reader Skip Erickson recently asked for help finding a recipe for Popeye's fried chicken. Erickson said he is a fan of the chicken chain's crispy breading.

Judy Shelton sent a recipe she found from the book "Insider's Recipes for Brand Name Foods," which is available on a number of Web sites, despite being copyrighted in 1998 by VJJE Publishing Co.

TAKING STOCK FROM HOLIDAYS

Kathleen Flinn, occasional Anna Maria Island resident and author of the book "The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry," wrote recently on her blog about how she loads up on cheap turkey bones during the holidays for making stock.

At her local grocery, "I scored turkey backs, necks and wings for 29 to 59 cents a pound," she wrote. "I alerted my butcher friend Carlos that I was looking for them, and he pulled together a massive family pack of 10 pounds and slapped on a discount price of $2.81."

It was Flinn who persuaded me to get into the habit of making stock, and I can't thank her enough. It has become one of the most therapeutic things I do in the kitchen. She shared her favorite recipe for stock from her friend Ted on the blog.

A good stockpot is critical, she said. A sturdy pan with a thick bottom, preferably stainless steel, is nonreactive and easy to clean. Pure, clean water is essential, too.

"The long simmering process concentrates all flavors, the good and the bad, which includes any gunk in your local water supply," she wrote.

This recipe is for a 10- to 12-quart stockpot. Adjust the recipe as needed to fit your stockpot. Carrots can add sweetness to a stock.

"Ted adds them only to beef or veal stock, but it's up to you," Flinn said.

POPEYE'S FRIED CHICKEN

3 cups self-rising flour

1 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons seasoned salt

2 tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 pack of Italian salad dressing mix powder

1 pack onion soup mix (1.5 ounces)

1 pack spaghetti sauce mix (1/2 ounce)

3 tablespoons sugar

3 cups corn flakes, crushed

2 eggs, well beaten

1/4 cup cold water
4 pounds chicken, sectioned

Combine first nine ingredients in large bowl. Put the cornflakes into another bowl. Put eggs and water in a third bowl. Put enough corn oil into a heavy large skillet to fill it 1-inch deep and heat on stove.

Grease a 9-by-12-by-2-inch baking pan. Set it aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dredge chicken pieces one at a time in dry coating mix, in the egg and water mix, in corn flakes and then briskly but briefly back into dry mix.

Drop chicken into hot oil, skin-side-down and brown 3 to 4 minutes on medium-high. Turn and brown other side of each piece. Don't crowd pieces during frying.

Place in prepared pan in single layer, skin-side-up. Seal in foil, on three sides only, leaving one side loose for steam to escape.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, removing foil then to test tenderness of chicken. Allow to bake uncovered 5 minutes longer to crisp the coating. Serves 4.

FOND DE CUISINE DE MON AMI TED (MY FRIEND TED'S STOCK RECIPE)

About 8 pounds of chicken or beef and veal bones

8 quarts pure, clean, cold water

1 pound (1 or 2 large) onions

1/2 pound (about 3 ribs) celery

1/2 pound (about 2 large) carrots (for brown stock only)

Parsley stems from one bunch

A few whole black peppercorns

Bay leaf (optional)

Prepare and roast the bones:

If bones are frozen, remove from freezer with plenty of time to thaw in fridge; this could take 24 hours. Place thawed and/or fresh bones in stockpot or bowl and cover with water. Let stand for 15 minutes and then drain, discarding the water. This helps to remove salt, freezer frost, blood and other undesirables. If making a white chicken stock, skip the browning step and put the bones into the pot with fresh water.

To make a brown beef or chicken stock, roast the bones in a 375-degree oven for 40 minutes, then add the vegetables. Continue to roast until the bones have a rich brown color, for a total of about 60 to 90 minutes.

Simmering the stock:

Transfer the browned bones and vegetables to the stockpot and then cover with water. Pour the fat out of the roasting pan, add water and gently loosen the pan drippings. Pour this into the stockpot. In either case, the water level should be at least 3 inches above the bones. Apply high heat until the stock comes to a slow simmer. Then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. For the next couple of hours, use a ladle to regularly skim the foam and fat from the surface of the stock. Don't let the stock boil; it will become cloudy.

At this point, add the vegetables, plus peppercorns and bay leaf if desired. Simmer the uncovered stock for a minimum of 4 hours for chicken and at least 8 hours for beef, skimming every 90 minutes. Add water as needed to keep the bones submerged.

Straining the stock:

A big stockpot with bones is both hot and heavy. Don't try to pour out its contents. Instead, use a long pair of tongs to remove most of the bones and discard. Ladle or pour the remaining stock and vegetables through a colander into a clean bowl or bowls. Take care to avoid burning yourself.

Strain it again, this time through a colander lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Either use the stock immediately or cool the stock as quickly as possible. To cool, pour the stock into several bowls. Place these bowls over others filled with ice or, after the stock has cooled to below 175 degrees, plop freezer bags filled with ice into bowls. Ladle into freezer-proof containers and freeze.

Looking for a recipe? Write to Jeff Houck, The Tampa Tribune, P.O. Box 191, Tampa FL 33601 or e-mail jhouck@tampatrib.com. If you're looking for a long-lost favorite, Keyword: Recipes, for more recipes and to check out our archive.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT