That Most American Recipe
One Man’s Search For Perfectly Seasoned Chicken
I first discovered cooking or at least attempted cooking during my middle school and early high school years. I would spend my weekends at my grandmother's house and she had every spice and seasoning in existence.
I don’t remember the circumstances that caused me to attempt to season the chicken wings, but I suspect that I was bored, hungry, and the chicken wings and spices were at the ready. So I went to work like a mad scientist getting lost in some ill-conceived chemistry experiment that was likely going to blow up in his face.
To her credit, my grandma never once tried to show me which spices go best with which. I suspect that was because one, it is hard to completely mess up seasoning chicken and two, it kept me, a hyperactive kid, occupied and focused on something productive. I proved her right on at least one of those points.
After the early stages of experimenting, I began to figure out which seasonings went best with which and what my tastes were.
In each bag of chicken wings, there would be thirty-six or so wings. I would do a third the way that I liked, which is spicier than most. The next fifteen or so with milder but still tasty combinations for my grandma and sister. The final 6–10 would then be experimental combinations that I was trying out to see if I could invent a perfect combination for my tastes.
This is a practice that I still use today when I make chicken. I always season the last two experimentally both to see if I can discover an exciting new flavor and as something of a tribute to my grandma, since she never discouraged me from trying new things, and maybe in some subconscious way, it’s just a reminder of my childhood when things were so much simpler.
Fast forward to adulthood, living on my own for the first time I struggled at times to actually prepare and cook my meals. It was always so much simpler to grab something on the way home, go out with friends, or just something microwaveable.
One thing that I would always find myself going back to when I did cook for myself would be chicken wings. Over the years it’s more likely to be chicken breast and thighs rather than wings, but the concept remains the same: to find the perfect balance of seasonings.
And while I’m sure that I will tweak some things here and there more or less every time that I prepare it, this is the current incarnation of my paean to that most American dish.
The Perfectly Seasoned American Chicken
Ingredients:
-skinless, boneless chicken breast
-2 cups flour
-2/3 tablespoon salt(fine sea salt is my preference)
-1/2 tablespoon thyme
-1/2 tablespoon basil
-1/3 tablespoon oregano
-1 tablespoon celery salt
-1 tablespoon black pepper
-1 tablespoon dried mustard
-4 tablespoons paprika
-2 tablespoons garlic salt
-1 tablespoon ginger
-3 tablespoons white pepper
*optional: 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper( I sometimes use this when I want an extra bit of spice, but it is delicious without it)
-3 eggs
-milk
Steps:
- Combine all of the dry spices(minus the flour) into a bowl.
- In another bowl add the 3 eggs and a bit of milk. Beat until smooth.
- Place chicken breast into the flour making sure that it is completely covered.
- Place the floured chicken into the egg/milk mixture. Shake off any excess.
- Place the chicken into the spice mixture making sure that it’s fully coated.
- Place the chicken onto a plate.
- Repeat the process with the remaining chicken.
- Place chicken in a single layer upon a baking sheet. I grease the pan with olive oil, but this is completely optional.
- Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 15–18 minutes. Internal temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 5–10 minutes.
- Prepare a plate. Recommended sides are baked sweet potato, green beans, and rice or quinoa depending upon your preference.
So there you have it, a relatively simple and quick recipe that is also a decently healthy option and delicious too. Sadly my grandmother passed away some years back and I never had the opportunity to share this recipe with her.
I know that she would have enjoyed it though and that I would eventually figure it out. So thanks for letting me waste so much of your spice rack all of those years ago, grandma, this recipe is for you. ♡
⬇️ Drop a comment below, if you try the recipe I’d love to hear how it worked out for you and any improvements that you would make. Follow me JMN
Be sure to check out another of my articles(non-recipe):
