Cook Like Chef Jeff

Recipe: Friendly Fried Chicken

The great debate over fried chicken always has to do with how best to get that crispy, flavorful outside—oh, and okay, which part of the chicken tastes best fried. Well, these days we know that fried foods are not good for your health, so I recommend you don’t eat this dish too often. But every once in a while it’s okay to dust off that cast-iron skillet and fry up some good ol’ chicken. This was one of the first recipes I learned, thanks to my former mentor in prison, Friendly Womack Jr. What makes it so great is that the chicken gets seasoned three times, and the meat is pierced with a fork to let the flavors penetrate. I am not going to say any more. Get your skillet out and follow this recipe to a tee. Oh, and also do this: Fry one wing first to make sure the oil is hot enough and the flavor is what you want before you do the whole batch. Read the story, folks!

Serves 4 to 6

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

3/4 cup ground black pepper
2/3 cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons onion powder
4 tablespoons cayenne pepper
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
16 chicken wings
1/4 cup buttermilk
5 cups canola oil

WHAT TO DO

1. To make the Friendly spice mix, stir the pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne together. Divide it in half and add one-half to the flour. Mix well with a fork and set aside.
2. Rinse the chicken wings and pat dry with paper towels. Place the wings on a flat surface. Using a fork, pierce the chicken wings to allow the spices to penetrate.
3. Tuck the chicken wings at the joint and season them with the second half of the spice
mix. Place them in a medium bowl and coat them with the buttermilk. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
4. When ready to fry, remove the chicken from refrigerator and dust it well with the seasoned flour. Hit two pieces together to shake off the excess flour.
5. Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet to about 375 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the heat by dipping the end of one wing in the hot oil. If the oil starts boiling heavily, it’s too hot. The oil should have a medium boil when the chicken is dropped in.
6. Gently drop the wings in the oil and fry, turning two or three times, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a large plate lined with paper towels.
7. Serve with Buttermilk Waffles and maple syrup.

WHAT’S THE STORY

Some thirteen years ago Friendly Womack and I had a little chicken business at Club Fed. We sold fried chicken to a select clientele in the yard who would often trade goods and services for it. After Friendly left prison, I ran our business solo. I played with the recipe (which Friendly wouldn’t have allowed) and began to marinate the chicken in a little buttermilk. Then I added cayenne to make it a bit spicy. That’s the story behind Friendly Fried Chicken. To this day, people love it. When I was executive chef at Café Bellagio, I used this same jailhouse recipe, and it was our number one special next to my braised beef short ribs.

Recipe: Mashed Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is versatile. I love to roast them in a sweet way, mash them up, and serve them with steak or risotto. This dish is best in the winter, but you can make it any time of the year.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

1 large butternut squash, peeled
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt to taste
1/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream
Freshly ground white pepper to taste

WHAT TO DO

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. With a sharp chef’s knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon.
3. Place the halves, cut side up, in a baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the brown sugar, spices, and a sprinkle of salt to the halves. Add about 1/4 inch water to the bottom of the dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until the squash is easily pierced with a knife, 45 to 50 minutes.
4. When the squash is cool enough to handle, cut into smaller chunks and transfer to a mixer bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the cream and beat until the squash is smooth, about 2 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Recipe: Chocolate S’more Bread Pudding

Any leftover bread will work in this recipe, but if you want to take it right over the top, you have to follow my instructions to the very end. It’s the rich chocolate chips, marshmallows, and warm caramel with vanilla bean ice cream on the side that will make you say, “Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

Serves 6 to 8

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

3 large eggs

4 cups milk

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup small marshmallows

1/2 cup small bittersweet chocolate chips

11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon molasses

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

10 slices pecan-raisin bread

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

WHAT TO DO

1. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients except the bread and ice cream and stir to combine.
2. Cut the bread into small cubes and fold the bread into the egg mixture. Let stand for 1 hour, making sure the bread is immersed in the liquid.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. Scrape the bread mixture into a 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Bake until the center is set, about 30 minutes. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

WHAT’S THE STORY

My granddaddy’s bread pudding was so good, everyone came over to his house for it, especially my wife, Stacy, when she was craving sweets during her pregnancies. Granddaddy would save the ends of my grandmother’s raisin bread and freeze them until he had enough to make a pudding. I never got his recipe, but I came up with one that I think would make him proud. I’m sure he’d have something to say about me adding marshmallows and chocolate chips, but that’s Granddaddy!

Watch a Clip from 'The Chef Jeff Project'

A Life Without Caffeine

Is caffeine robbing you of your health? Read next feature >