On July 6th chicken lovers across the country recognize National Fried Chicken Day. In Maryland, Maryland Chicken or Chicken a la Maryland is one of the most famous historic dishes from the Old Line State. Essential to any summer picnic, we present the history of Maryland Fried Chicken.
A take on the classic Southern dish, Maryland Fried Chicken is differentiated by covering the chicken in a pot while frying it and adding gravy, poured over the chicken. Because it is very popular and is a specialty of many households and restaurants, there is no single way to make the dish, therefore every iteration has a special flavor to it.
Maryland Fried Chicken was recorded in recipe form as far back as 1886, but is most likely much older. It became well-known across the United States when the recipe was published in chef Auguste Escoffier’s cookbook Ma Cuisine in 1934. The following recipe comes from a blog called The Kitchen Witch and uses Old Bay Seasoning to give it an even stronger Maryland flavor.
CHICKEN INGREDIENTS
- 4 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken
- 1 tbsp dry mustard
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt (garlic salt is a good substitute for both garlic powder and salt)
- 1 ½ cup white flour
- 1 Tsp baking powder
- 2 cups oil (peanut oil is most commonly used, but Crisco works, as well)
- Old Bay seasoning to taste
CHICKEN INSTRUCTIONS
- Separate chicken pieces and dry with a paper towel
- Mix mustard, garlic powder, and salt, and sprinkle over the chicken
- Mix flour and baking powder in a bowl and coat chicken until covered well
- Refrigerate chicken for 30 minutes to 2 hours
- Preheat oven to 200F
- Heat oil to 375F in Dutch oven
- Place chicken in pot, cover, and cook until brown, approximately 5 minutes
- Lower temperature and cook uncovered until chicken is cooked through
- Place chicken on wire rack fitted to baking sheet, sprinkle Old Bay, and place into oven
- Repeat steps 6-9 with remaining chicken
GRAVY INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup pan drippings from frying
- ¼ cup white flour
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Salt
GRAVY INSTRUCTIONS
- Save ¼ cup of pan drippings from frying chicken
- Whisk in flour and heat until golden
- Slowly whisk in broth, cream, and pepper
- Lower heat and simmer until thickened, approximately 5 minutes
- Add salt for taste, and serve over chicken