Monday, July 20, 2009

Navajo Blue Corn Fried Chicken with Ancho Honey Sauce



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you love Southwestern cooking, I suspect you're about to become a happy camper. I been working with recipes that use blue corn meal for several weeks now. There's something about its flavor and the texture it imparts to food that agrees with my palate. I found today's recipe in a book called "Cook-Off America." The dish was created by Bobby Flay for the Aspen Food and Wine Classic. The few changes I've made to the recipe appear in red. I'm sure you will want to make changes of your own, but I've learned a few things, the hard way, that I'd like to share with you. Don't stint on the amount of time the chicken marinates in buttermilk. The tenderized chicken provides a marvelous counterpoint for the crispy fried batter. I've added hot sauce to the buttermilk to add just a hint of heat to the chicken and I salted it liberally at each of the preparation stages along the way. I substituted pancake mix for the flour used to dredge the chicken. I think the pancake mix makes for a crisper coating than flour. Do make sure you serve this warm and don't forget the sauce. It is an integral part of this dish. Leftovers are just so-so, so don't make more food than you'll consume at one sitting. The chicken is not as pretty as its southern counterpart, but it is "make your socks go up and down" good. I know the fried foods are something the food police have made a crime, but I'm a firm believer in moderation. Seldom or rarely, does not mean never. Good fried chicken a couple of times a year will not kill you. I hope you'll try this.

Navajo Blue Corn Fried Chicken with Ancho Honey Sauce
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Bobby Flay

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds) cut up
3 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup hot sauce (i.e Tabasco or Texas Pete)
Peanut oil, for frying
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups pancake mix seasoned with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 large eggs, mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups blue cornmeal, seasoned with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
. Ancho-Honey Sauce
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder

Directions:
1) For Chicken: Place chicken in a large baking dish, add buttermilk, turn to coat. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 4 but up to 24 hours. Heat 1-inch of peanut oil in a cast iron skillet to 350 degrees F. An electric frying pan can also be used. Remove chicken from buttermilk, pat dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour and pat off excess. Dip in the eggs then cornmeal. Slowly add the chicken pieces to hot pan skin-side down in batches. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium high and cook for 7 minutes, remove cover, turn the chicken over and continue to cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
2) For the Ancho Honey Sauce: Mix honey and ancho chile powder together until blended.
3) To serve: Transfer chicken to a platter. Serve warm drizzled with Ancho Honey Sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

36 comments :

The Quintessential Magpie said...

This sounds divine, Mary! I like blue corn, too, and I eat organic blue corn chips when I eat chips. I wasn't sure what ancho was till I read it in the description. All sounds like a great dish!

Happy Outdoor Monday. Wishing you blue skies above...

XO,

Sheila :-)

Deb in Hawaii said...

It looks amazing. A little piece of fried chicken now and then never hurt anyone! ;-)

theUngourmet said...

I love seeing a fresh idea for fried chicken. This looks so crisp and delicious!

Unknown said...

I love to cook with blue corn. This recipe looks and sound wonderful. THANKS!!! for the recipe. Geri

My Little Space said...

Oh Mary, these fried chicken look so tasty and crispy! How can I resist!

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

That's some great looking fried chicken. I like to soak mine in buttermilk also. It helps the crust adhere. The idea of using blue chips is wonderful.
Sam

Justin said...

my mouth started watering the moment i read the subject of this post...

pigpigscorner said...

I've never tried soaking chicken in buttermilk! intersting. Looks perfectly fried and really delicious!

Puna said...

Oh yum. How in the world do you have the time to cook so much?

Ann said...

It looks so delish ... now I'm craving for a fried chicken.

Candy said...

Cute and delish blue post, not to mention the fried chicken...copy & paste for the cook book.

Thanks, Candy

Olga said...

This looks incredible!
I used to work at KFC when I was in High School, and youor chicken looks a zillion times better :)

Anonymous said...

Mary, what an interesting and elaborate recipe - sounds yummy!

Dawn said...

This sounds so good. You don't hear of new fried chicken recipe's often!
DAwn

greet's foto's said...

hallo Mary
volgens mij kan jij heerlijk koken,
en die kip,jammy,jammy,ziet er goed uit.
Maar al je gerechten zien er lekker uit,ik ben maar alleen,dus kook ik niet zoveel. fijne week
oma nijn

Anonymous said...

that looks insanely great!

Pam said...

Wow - this looks and sounds fantastic. My husband would really love this chicken.

Karen said...

Oh, this just looks and sounds wonderful! I like that it isn't deep fried, too.

Christi @ A Southern Life said...

This sounds wonderful and I like your tips. Who cares about the food police? Love fried food!

Christi

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

This sounds delicious! I love spicy chicken. I never would ahve thought of using pancake mix for the batter! Nice tip!

Christo Gonzales said...

wow - this sounds soooo good.....crispy, juicy and delicious....

Country Wings in Phoenix said...

Ooh Mary, can you just adopt me? I would come home every day to visit for dinner and supper? Your food always looks so delish, and I would be a good taste tester. Oh honey, another absolutely beautiful post. Stop by and read my manic Monday. Oh Mary thanks for sharing. Country Love and Hugs, Sherry

Lyndas recipe box said...

This chicken is delicious looking, Mary- I agree that some fried chicken a few times a year will not hurt anyone!Yum!

xinex said...

This really looks very good, Mary! How did you get to be such a good cook?...Christine

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I've never had Southwestern cuisine but I'm enjoying this post about it and I'm glad that you will be cooking some more. I always like to learn new recipes. Looks so yummy.

Unknown said...

I just know that I am going to love this. Thanks so much for participating in Crock Pot Wednesdays; I'll look forward to your post. Have a great vacation and family time.

Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) said...

Oh Mary, this sounds delicious.. I cannot wait to try it..Thanks for sharing the recipe..
hugs ~lynne~

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

This looks so perfect and i love the flavors you used. What a perfect and tasty chicken entree.

La Bella Cooks said...

Oooh, I can almost taste the spicy goodness! I would be immediately hooked.

Heather S-G said...

You're right...I can feel my socks getting antsy already!! This sounds amazing...I've bookmarked it w/ best intentions (although I wish I could just have a piece of yours)!

Katy ~ said...

I made fried chicken last night for dinner. It wasn't nearly as good as yours (pulling a sad face here).

NKP said...

Oh my. This chicken is calling my name! It is 5:56am now, and I could eat several pieces with my fingers.
I have never had socks up and down good chicken.

Chocolate Shavings said...

Is it problematic that I want a piece of that chicken and it's not even 10 in the morning...?

Jude said...

I had a feeling you were about to mention bobby flay. he always talk about it in his shows. Gotta try this stuff out and see what all the fuss is about :)

susitravl said...

Thanks for visiting my blog today. I am now following yours - and plan to make the Navajo Blue Corn Fried Chicken! Sounds delicous.

Anonymous said...

I actually made this chicken. It was good, but in no way does the picture shown match what it actually looked like. The cornmeal gives it the coarse texture/appearance.

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