Citrus Chicken

There seems to be a movement to call things fried that aren’t really fried. This is prevalent in my Mid Century recipe collection.

This isn’t fried chicken in the traditional sense. I guess you could call the browning process frying. . .

Unfortunately, the chicken isn’t crispy. The skin is actually kind of soft and limp. Even taking the lid off the pan did not crisp up that skin.

On a positive note - the chicken was amazingly good.

The marinade is packed with orange flavor. The rind and juice work together to give the dish that citrus punch. The three hour marinating time gives the chicken time to soak up all that citrus.

The chicken itself was nice and moist. Not at all dry. I cooked mine closer to the 25 minute mark. Obviously, cooking times and stoves vary. . .

The gravy was interesting. It had all that citrus flavor from the marinade, but it also had a lot of the chicken flavor from the bits left in the pan.

The gravy is nice and thick, so it stays where you put it. I think it was a nice addition.

Watch The Video

ORANGE FRIED CHICKEN

1 Chicken, Cut Up

4 Teaspoons Grated Orange Rind

2/3 Cup Orange Juice

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Dry Mustard

1/8 Teaspoon Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

3/4 Cup Flour

2 Teaspoons Paprika

1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Pepper

Place chicken in a single layer in a shallow dish. Combine half the orange rind with the juice, salt, dry mustard, pepper and Tabasco. Pour mixture over chicken and let stand 3 hours. Drain, reserving marinade. Combine remaining orange rind, flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a brown bag. Shake chicken pieces, a few at a time, in the bag until they are well coated with flour mixture. Brown the chicken in a heavy skillet. Turn occasionally to brown evenly. Add 1 tablespoon water and cover skillet tightly. Cook slowly until the chicken is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Turn occasionally for even browning. Uncover and continue to cook slowly to re-crisp, about 5 minutes. Place on a serving platter, keep warm. Reserve 2 tablespoons pan drippings. Measure marinade, adding water as necessary to make 1 1/2 cups. Add 2 tablespoons flour from bag and pan drippings to pan. Heat until mixture bubbles. Add marinade all at once and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Pour over chicken and serve.