66 | October 2012 www.womanthismonth.com While we describe food and gastronomy as being, for the most part, all things French; American pop culture, history and its chefs have definitely left us with dishes we simply cannot do without. No matter what country you live in or how far removed from modernity you are, there seems to be a little part of Americana cooking or influence everywhere. Our supermarkets’ shelves, aisles and freezer compartments are packed with it, from brand names to iconic products. We can all think of something that derives from the USA like Twinkies, hot dogs and hamburgers. Even the famed American steakhouse has given us some truly delicious dishes, sauces and condiments, as do the American road-side diners. While French cuisine may be the epitome of gastronomy, it truly does seem that much of our old time favourites are inspired from the good old US of A. Perhaps it’s the ease of it all, the comfort food feeling of much of it, or the fact it is just plain delicious. To narrow down the selection of such a vast offering to just a few recipes is not easy, but here anyway are my personal all-time favourites. Southern Crunchy Fried Chicken 500mls laban 20g Dijon mustard Pinch salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1 1/2 kg chicken pieces (trimmed and cut) 250g plain (all-purpose) flour 10g baking powder 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper 1/4 tsp garlic powder Pinch salt Frying oil l Into a large bowl whisk together the laban, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper and garlic powder. l Add the trimmed and cut chicken pieces to the laban mixture and stir to coat each piece completely. l Wrap the bowl and refrigerate overnight; alternatively, put everything into a large plastic zip-lock bag and allow to marinate overnight. l Heat the oil for frying. l Sieve together the flour and baking powder. Mix into this garlic powder, the cracked black pepper and salt. l Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and allow to drip dry on a cooling rack for a few minutes. l Roll each piece of chicken in the flour mixing. Roll again before removing and shaking off the excess flour. l Carefully dip each piece of chicken one piece at a time into the frying oil and cook for 12-14 minutes. Bigger pieces require longer than say a drumstick would. l Remove the chicken when cooked and allow to rest on a cooling wire for a few minutes. l Keep the pieces warm in the oven until ready to serve with salad or chips and gravy. Food Tastes of theUSA In a short few days that contain two iconic American celebrations, Halloween and Thanksgiving, it seems fitting to talk about the heritage of the USA on the world’s food scene. By James Claire
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