Chicken is the healthiest choice for busy dads charged with the task of cooking a suitable family dinner. No other meat is as versatile or easy to turn into satisfying family meals that are tasty, healthful and affordable. Spices and cooking techniques are the keys to flavorful chicken cookery. Spices can be subjective, and dads should begin by selecting spices they enjoy. Supermarkets offer many spice blends at premium prices, but dads can easily make there own spice rub or mix and save money. Choosing spices allows fathers to eliminate MSG, ingredients that some people may be allergic to, or spices that family members just do not like.
Almost any spice goes well with chicken, so it is easy to introduce flavor. One secret for flavorful fried chicken is to be sure to season both the meat and the breading. Fried chicken breading or flour mix adheres best if chicken is dipped using classic breading technique. Season the chicken, then coat the pieces with flour. Classic technique utilizes a triple-dipping process. Keep one hand clean and dip the floured chicken in beaten egg, then return the pieces to the flour or breading mixture and coat on all sides. Chicken pieces can then be pan fried, deep fried or baked.
If the family enjoys KFC chicken, the flavors can be closely matched by using the following spices:
· 1 tablespoon rosemary
· 1 tablespoon powdered sage
· 1 tablespoon oregano
· 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
· 1 teaspoon marjoram
· 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
· 3 tablespoons dry minced parsley
· 1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
· 1 teaspoon pepper
· 1 tablespoon paprika
· 2 tablespoons onion salt
· 2 tablespoons powdered chicken bouillon
· 2 tablespoons garlic salt
· 1 package instant tomato soup mix
Mix together all the spices and blend in a blender to get a fine powder. Store in a covered container. When ready to use, mix one part spice mix with eight parts flour or one ounce spice mix to one cup of flour. The flavor will not be exact because home kitchens seldom have the pressure fryers that create extra tenderness, but that problem can be addressed by a process called brining.