Southern Fried Chicken
How to Make Emeril's Red Beans Rice Recipe
This delicious recipe for Emeril's red beans rice is the perfect companion to Emeril's fried chicken. Emeril Legasse is a celebrity chef who knows all about southern cooking and his dishes are really easy to make and really flavorful. If you are looking for a tasty rice and bean recipe, this one is really flavorful. The thyme, cayenne, parsley and bay leaves give it lots of herby flavor, the ham, sausage and bacon grease give it a meaty flavor and the chicken stock used to keep it all moist contrasts amazingly with the fried chicken recipe you are going to serve it with.
If you are looking for a classic side dish, this one is a surefire winner. You need to soak the red beans overnight so start this recipe in plenty of time if you want to make it to go with your favorite fried chicken recipe. Of course, you might prefer French fries, mashed potatoes or potato wedges instead, but rice makes a nice change, especially such a flavorful and delightful recipe as this one.
Beans and Rice Side Dish for Fried Chicken Recipes
Ingredients -
4 cups white rice, cooked
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 ½ cups chopped onion
½ teaspoon salt
3 bay leaves
¾ cup chopped celery
1 lb dried red beans
¼ cup chopped ham
¼ cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons bacon grease
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
10 cups water or chicken stock
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 lb smoked ham hocks
½ lb smoked sausage, sliced lengthwise in half, then in 1 inch chunks
Preparation:
Rinse the beans and remove any that are not perfect.
Put them in a pot and cover them with water.
Let them soak overnight, and then drain them.
Heat the bacon grease in a big pan over a moderately high heat, then cook the chopped ham for a minute. Add the bell peppers, onion and celery and season salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Keep cooking for about 4 minutes, stirring all the time, or until the vegetables are tender.
Add the thyme, sausage, parsley, ham hocks and bay leaves and keep cooking for another 4 minutes or until the meat starts to brown.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the stock and beans, stir the mixture and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer the Emeril red beans rice mixture for a couple of hours or until the beans are thickening and becoming tender.
If they dry out too much, you can add a bit more water.
Take the mixture off the heat and mash a quarter of the beans against the pan side.
Keep cooking for another 20 minutes or until the beans are creamy and soft.
Take the bay leaves out and serve with your favorite fried chicken recipe, garnished with the scallions.
(Serves 8)
Authentic Recipe for Emeril's Fried Chicken
The secret behind this delicious Emeril Lagasse fried chicken recipe is the homemade "essence" which is what Emeril calls his unique Creole seasoning mix. This Creole flavoring gives the chicken an amazing flavor and you can use this herb and spice mixture in other recipes. The chicken is coated in flour and egg and seasoned with the Creole mixture. It is then pan fried to perfection.
Emeril's fried chicken recipe is served with mashed potatoes and a delicious homemade gravy recipe. If you are looking for a delicious pan fried chicken recipe which is impressive looking and flavorful enough to serve to guests, this recipe is perfect. The Creole seasoning turns this otherwise ordinary pan fried chicken into something very special.
You can serve potato wedges or even French fries with this Emeril's fried chicken dish if you prefer them to the mashed potatoes. The homemade gravy is made by adding flour and milk to the remaining oil in the skillet and scraping the tasty stuck-on chicken bits off the bottom of the pan. This delicious pan fried chicken recipe is highly recommended and has to be tasted to be believed.
Emeril's Fried Chicken Creole Style with Gravy
Ingredients -
3 ½ lbs fryer chicken
2 beaten eggs
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
Cayenne pepper
Oil, for frying
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk
6 potatoes, peeled and diced
4 tablespoons butter
Salt
Black pepper
For the Creole Seasoning:
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 ½ tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
Preparation:
First make the Creole seasoning.
Mix all the Creole seasoning ingredients together and store the mixture in an airtight container.
You will get about ⅔ cup and you won't need it all for this fried chicken recipe.
Cut the chicken into 8 pieces. Use the salt and cayenne pepper to season the chicken pieces.
Whisk 2 tablespoons of the milk with the eggs and add a pinch of Creole seasoning. Add another pinch of the seasoning to 3 cups of the flour.
Dredge the chicken in the flour, then in the egg, ensuring the chicken pieces are completely covered. Let any excess drip off. Dip the chicken pieces again in the flour.
Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are tender, then mash in the butter and some cream or milk too if you prefer a creamier texture. Keep the mashed potatoes warm.
Heat the oil in a skillet. Place half the chicken pieces skin side down in the hot oil and fry for 6 minutes.
Flip the chicken pieces over and cook for 6 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked right through and golden brown.
Drain the chicken on a paper lined plate and sprinkle more Creole seasoning over it.
Fry the other half of the chicken pieces. Pour all the oil except ½ cup out of the skillet.
Whisk in the rest of the flour and let the mixture cook for a few minutes, scraping the stuck-on bits of chicken off the skillet.
Whisk in the rest of the milk and bring the liquid to a boil.
Turn it down to a simmer and season with salt and black pepper.
Cook this gravy for 6 minutes.
You can add some water if it goes too thick.
Serve the mashed potatoes and fried chicken with the gravy over the top.
(Serves 4)
