concerned.
That evening, as dinner heated in the microwave, Holly searched through her kitchen drawers for the notebook where her mother had written various recipes passed down through her family.
“What would you think of homemade fried chicken for Christmas?” Holly asked Gabe. It wasn’t the traditionaldinner but roast turkey with all the fixings was out of her budget now. If Gabe considered her fried chicken a success, she’d serve it again when Jake came over.
“I’ve had take-out chicken. Is that the same?”
“The same?” she repeated incredulously. “Not even close!”
“Then I’ve never had it.” He shrugged. “If it’s not frozen or out of a can Dad doesn’t know how to make it,” Gabe said. “Except for macaroni and cheese in the box.” He sat down at the computer and logged on to the internet, preparing to send an email to his father, as he did every night. He hadn’t typed more than a few words when he turned and looked at Holly. “What’s for dinner tonight?”
“Leftover Chinese. You okay with that?”
“Sure.” Gabe returned to the computer screen.
Ten minutes later, he asked, “Can you invite Jake for Christmas dinner?”
“He won’t be able to come.”
“Why not?”
“He’s going away for Christmas.”
Gabe was off the internet and playing one of his games, jerking the game stick left and right as he battled aliens. “Why?”
“You’ll have to ask him.”
“I will.” Apparently he’d won the battle because he letgo of the stick and faced her. “You’re going to see him again, right? You want to, don’t you?”
Even an eight-year-old boy could easily see through her.
“I hope so.”
“Me, too,” Gabe said, then added, “Billy wants me to come over after school on Friday. I can go, can’t I?” He regarded her hopefully.
The boys had obviously remained friends. “I’ll clear it with his dad first.” Holly had been meaning to talk to Bill before this. She’d make a point of doing it soon, although she wasn’t looking forward to contacting him.
The good news was that she’d found the recipe in her mother’s book.
Fried Chicken
(from Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove Cookbook )
The key to crisp fried chicken is cooking at a high temperature. Stick a candy or deep-frying thermometer in the chicken as you fry to make sure the oil temperature remains between 250º and 300ºF.
1 whole chicken (about 3½ pounds), cut into 10 pieces
1 quart buttermilk
2 tablespoons Tabasco or other hot sauce
2 cups all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Vegetable oil or shortening
Rinse chicken. In a large bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine buttermilk and Tabasco. Add chicken pieces, turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 8 hours and up to 16, turning the pieces occasionally. Remove chicken from buttermilk; shake off excess. Arrange in a single layer on large wirerack set over rimed baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 2 hours.
Measure flour into large shallow dish; whisk in some salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, baking powder and baking soda. Working in batches of 3, drop chicken pieces in flour and shake dish to coat. Shake excess flour from each piece. Using tongs, dip chicken pieces into egg mixture, turning to coat well and allowing excess to drip off. Return chicken pieces to flour; coat again, shake off excess and set on wire rack.
Preheat oven to 200ºF. Set oven rack to middle position. Set another wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet, and place in oven. Line a large plate with paper towels. Pour oil about ½ inch up the side of a large, heavy skillet. Place skillet over high heat; let pan warm until oil shimmers.
Place half of chicken, skin-side down, in hot oil. Reduce heat to medium and fry 8 minutes, until deep golden brown. Turn chicken pieces; cook an additional eight minutes, turning to fry evenly on all sides. Using tongs, transfer chicken to
That evening, as dinner heated in the microwave, Holly searched through her kitchen drawers for the notebook where her mother had written various recipes passed down through her family.
“What would you think of homemade fried chicken for Christmas?” Holly asked Gabe. It wasn’t the traditionaldinner but roast turkey with all the fixings was out of her budget now. If Gabe considered her fried chicken a success, she’d serve it again when Jake came over.
“I’ve had take-out chicken. Is that the same?”
“The same?” she repeated incredulously. “Not even close!”
“Then I’ve never had it.” He shrugged. “If it’s not frozen or out of a can Dad doesn’t know how to make it,” Gabe said. “Except for macaroni and cheese in the box.” He sat down at the computer and logged on to the internet, preparing to send an email to his father, as he did every night. He hadn’t typed more than a few words when he turned and looked at Holly. “What’s for dinner tonight?”
“Leftover Chinese. You okay with that?”
“Sure.” Gabe returned to the computer screen.
Ten minutes later, he asked, “Can you invite Jake for Christmas dinner?”
“He won’t be able to come.”
“Why not?”
“He’s going away for Christmas.”
Gabe was off the internet and playing one of his games, jerking the game stick left and right as he battled aliens. “Why?”
“You’ll have to ask him.”
“I will.” Apparently he’d won the battle because he letgo of the stick and faced her. “You’re going to see him again, right? You want to, don’t you?”
Even an eight-year-old boy could easily see through her.
“I hope so.”
“Me, too,” Gabe said, then added, “Billy wants me to come over after school on Friday. I can go, can’t I?” He regarded her hopefully.
The boys had obviously remained friends. “I’ll clear it with his dad first.” Holly had been meaning to talk to Bill before this. She’d make a point of doing it soon, although she wasn’t looking forward to contacting him.
The good news was that she’d found the recipe in her mother’s book.
Fried Chicken
(from Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove Cookbook )
The key to crisp fried chicken is cooking at a high temperature. Stick a candy or deep-frying thermometer in the chicken as you fry to make sure the oil temperature remains between 250º and 300ºF.
1 whole chicken (about 3½ pounds), cut into 10 pieces
1 quart buttermilk
2 tablespoons Tabasco or other hot sauce
2 cups all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Vegetable oil or shortening
Rinse chicken. In a large bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine buttermilk and Tabasco. Add chicken pieces, turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 8 hours and up to 16, turning the pieces occasionally. Remove chicken from buttermilk; shake off excess. Arrange in a single layer on large wirerack set over rimed baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 2 hours.
Measure flour into large shallow dish; whisk in some salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, baking powder and baking soda. Working in batches of 3, drop chicken pieces in flour and shake dish to coat. Shake excess flour from each piece. Using tongs, dip chicken pieces into egg mixture, turning to coat well and allowing excess to drip off. Return chicken pieces to flour; coat again, shake off excess and set on wire rack.
Preheat oven to 200ºF. Set oven rack to middle position. Set another wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet, and place in oven. Line a large plate with paper towels. Pour oil about ½ inch up the side of a large, heavy skillet. Place skillet over high heat; let pan warm until oil shimmers.
Place half of chicken, skin-side down, in hot oil. Reduce heat to medium and fry 8 minutes, until deep golden brown. Turn chicken pieces; cook an additional eight minutes, turning to fry evenly on all sides. Using tongs, transfer chicken to
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