What would you choose to serve as an All-American meal to a guest from another country?
Julie (visting from France) and Audrey at Audrey and Rusty's dinning room table.
Julie worked at General Mills for a few months, here from France. My friend, Audrey and I met Julie at our French class. Before she returned to France, Audrey and her husband Rusty invited Julie and us over for an All-American dinner. Rusty decided to make his mother’s fried chicken recipe with gravy and mashed potatoes.
Audrey and Rusty in their kitchen. The gravy in the electric skillet is just about ready to serve.
Rusty's Fried Chicken
Rusty's Fried Chicken and Gravy
Dip chicken pieces in milk and then coat chicken with flour mixed with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a paper bag and shake each piece of chicken. Cover the bottom of a large skillet (I use an electric one) with oil; heat. Add chicken and brown all sides at 350°F. Cover and reduce to heat to 225°F. and cook for about 1/2 hour until the chicken is no longer pink (I prefer an internal temp of 180° F).
Meanwhile, make mashed potatoes.
To make milk gravy, remove chicken to a platter. Pour about 2 cups of milk into the skillet, mix with pan drippings and bring to a simmer. While the milk is heating, mix about 1/3 cup milk with about 3 tablespoons flour in a jar; shake well. Turn off skillet; pour the flour and milk mixture slowly into the skillet while stirring vigorously. Return to boiling, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Julie told us that she had never eaten a meal like this—with gravy served over mashed poatoes. In the photo below, Audrey is showing Julie how to make a well in her scoop of mashed potatoes before she ladled the gravy over them.
We rounded out the menu with oven-roasted squash and a Wedge Salad. Merci Audrey and Rusty for being such gracious hosts, once again!