Chicken Fried Steak Recipe
(continuing the list of healthy recipes...)
another great recipe from americastestkitchen.com ...
Chicken-Fried Steak
Serves 6
Getting the initial oil temperature to 375 degrees is key to the success
of this recipe. An instant-read thermometer with a high upper range is
perfect for checking the temperature; a clip-on candy/deep-fry thermometer
is also fine. If your Dutch oven measures 11 inches across (as ours does),
you will need to fry the steaks in two batches.
Steak
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Salt and ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
6 cube steaks, about 5 ounces each, pounded to 1/3-inch thickness
4 to 5 cups peanut oil
Cream Gravy
1 medium onion, minced
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
1. For the steaks: Measure the flour, 5 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black
pepper, and cayenne into a large shallow dish. In a second large shallow
dish, beat the egg, baking powder, and baking soda; stir in the buttermilk
(the mixture will bubble and foam).
2. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Pat the steaks dry with
paper towels and sprinkle each side with salt and pepper to taste. Drop
the steaks into the flour and shake the pan to coat. Shake excess flour
from each steak, then, using tongs, dip the steaks into the egg mixture,
turning to coat well and allowing the excess to drip off. Coat the steaks
with flour again, shake off the excess, and place them on the wire rack.
3. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, set a second wire rack
over a second rimmed baking sheet, and place the sheet on the oven rack;
heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a large plate with a double layer of
paper towels. Meanwhile, heat 1 inch of oil in a large (11-inch diameter)
Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Place three steaks in the
oil and fry, turning once, until deep golden brown on each side, about 5
minutes (oil temperature will drop to around 335 degrees). Transfer the
steaks to the paper-towel-lined plate to drain, then transfer them to
the wire rack in the oven. Bring the oil back to 375 degrees and repeat
the cooking and draining process (use fresh paper towels) with the three
remaining steaks.
4. For the gravy: Carefully pour the hot oil through a fine-mesh strainer
into a clean pot. Return the browned bits from the strainer along with
2 tablespoons of frying oil back to the Dutch oven. Turn the heat to
medium, add the onion and thyme, and cook until the onion has softened
and is beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until
aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the flour to the pan and stir until well
combined and starting to dissolve, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth,
scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the milk,
salt, pepper, and cayenne; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook
until thickened (gravy should have a loose consistency--it will thicken
as it cools), about 5 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken-fried steaks to individual plates. Spoon a
generous amount of gravy over each steak. Serve immediately, placing
any remaining gravy in a small bowl.
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