Microplane

Occasionally we all need a break once in a while.  I love cooking and often find it relaxes me, but having 3 kids (and 2 of them being under 2 years old) can be exhausting and some times I need a break.  Sometimes that means easier recipes.  Sometimes that means paper plates (see Stroganoff and future posts...).  And sometimes that means when Chick-Fil-A is having one of their special deal nights you must take them up on it.

Which brings me to this post.  I will not be sharing a recipe but will be showcasing one of my favorite kitchen tools: the Microplane.  While I have dreamed of one for a few years now, the Microplane is a new addition to my kitchen toolbox.  I don't know what I did without it.

Garlic. I use it probably 4-5 nights a week when making dinner.  I'm not a fan of the jarred, minced garlic.  I don't think there is a comparison to the fresh stuff .  A couple years ago I gave up using the garlic press and I thought it created more work and frustration than it was worth (difficult to press, clean, etc.)  So I moved on the chopping, slicing, and mincing garlic myself.  Now, with a few swipes of a garlic clove across the Microplane, I have a perfect uniform garlic paste to add to my dishes.

Cheese:  There is nothing light a sprinkling of fresh Parmigiano Reggiano to finish a delicious pasta dish. (See Fettucini Alfredo).  In the past I have always purchased pre-grated Parmesan cheese.  But, now I can buy it in chunks which, for a family on a budget, is more economical and the flavor is amazing!

There are many others uses for the Microplane and I'm excited to try many out in the coming months.  It can be used for chocolate, citrus zest, and even nutmeg (I've had a Microplane Nutmeg Grater for a few years now.)  While there are many practical uses for it (such as grating garlic), I look forward to seeing how the "look" of the meals I prepare changes in the near future as it will now be easier to add that finishing touch.

Fried Chicken

Back in 2005 I bought myself some cast-iron cookware. I got a griddle/grill pan (which I love), a 10 1/4 inch skillet (great for cornbread), and a 15 1/4 inch skillet. I've used the large skillet for a number of things (e.g. chicken fried steak). Recently when my mother was visiting she made fried chicken and I realized that I have never made fried chicken in my cast-iron skillet. So this was my first experiment in making fried chicken and I think I may need to tweak a few things.

I got a really good deal on chicken breasts at Costco this past weekend so I only made breasts this time and I split them because they were huge.

First I salted the chicken and let it sit in a bowl while I readied the other ingredients. To the bowl I added about 3 cups of buttermilk, 2 onions - sliced, and some hot sauce. I let this marinate overnight until dinnertime.

In a paper bag I combined about 2 cups of flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder and salt. I placed the chicken pieces in the bag one at a time and shook until well coated. I let the chicken pieces rest about 30 minutes before frying. In the cast-iron skillet over medium heat I heated up enough shortening to come up about an inch in the skillet. Then I began frying. This took a while! I think the first batch took almost 30 minutes or more to cook. I was concerned about getting the middle up to temperature while not burning the outside. Also some of the pieces were cooking faster than others and not evenly. I think maybe a lid might help, but unfortunately they don't make one for this size skillet. I also think I may need to play around using both burners to keep the skillet hot all around.

All in all I think it still came out pretty good. The chicken was moist on the inside and crispy on the outside for the most part although there was some unevenness. I served it with homemade macaroni and cheese and corn. I strayed a little from my usual mac and cheese recipe. I used some Dijon instead of dry mustard which was pretty good. I think I'll write a post some time about my search for the perfect, but easy, homemade mac and cheese.