Father's Day Ideas

With Father’s Day upon us, does anyone have any ideas for new dishes to try this weekend? I usually do a full breakfast for my husband with waffles and pancakes and eggs with bacon, sausage, and biscuits and gravy. For dinner, there’s always a steak or something meaty…but this year, I may want to try something different. Anyone have any ideas on what you’re planning on doing? I saw a filet of beef from Ina Garten with a basil mayonnaise, but the husband doesn’t like mayo…I know…he’s a bit on an odd duck.

Sounds like a great meal to me! but if you want to do something different how about making Chicken and waffles. The NYT has a savory ish waffle recipe that might be good

I used to live in the ATL and loved the fried chicken at Watershed… Recipe saved from the AJC i believe.

Watershed Pan-Fried Chicken
4 servings
Hands on: 1-1 1/2 hours
Total time: 24 hours or more
This recipe, from Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis’ “The Gift of Southern Cooking,” is the one the restaurant uses for its renowned Tuesday fried chicken nights. It blends the authors’ best chicken-frying tips from Virginia and Alabama. The chicken gets two long soaks, Alabama-style, first in brine and then in buttermilk. The saltwater brine helps the flesh retain moisture and season it all the way through; the buttermilk adds a tangy flavor and helps tenderize it. The Virginia-style frying fat combines lard and sweet butter, flavored with a slice of country ham, making the chicken extra-crispy and rich-tasting. The cornstarch in the dredge adds to the crispness as well. Other tips from the book: “Be sure to pat off all excess dredge; fry evenly at the proper temperature; and drain the chicken well on crumpled-up —- not flat —- paper towels or a wire rack.” If making the Tomato Gravy (see recipe), be sure to keep the skillet drippings.

1/2 cup kosher salt (do not use table salt for brining)
2 quarts cold water
1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 quart buttermilk
1 pound lard
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup country ham pieces, or 1 thick slice country ham cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To make the brine: Stir kosher salt into cold water until dissolved. Place chicken parts in a nonreactive bowl or pot; add enough brine to cover completely. Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours.
Drain the brined chicken and rinse out the bowl it was brined in. Return chicken to the bowl, and pour the buttermilk over. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. Drain the chicken on a wire rack, discarding the buttermilk.
Meanwhile, prepare the fat for frying by putting the lard, butter and country ham into a heavy skillet or frying pan. Cook over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, skimming as needed, until the butter ceases to throw off foam and the country ham is browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the ham carefully from the fat.
Just before frying, increase the temperature to medium-high and heat the fat to 335 degrees. Prepare the dredge by blending together the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or on wax paper. Dredge the drained chicken pieces thoroughly in the flour mixture, then pat well to remove all excess flour.
Using tongs, slip some of the chicken pieces, skin side down, into the heated fat. (Do not overcrowd the pan or the cooking fat will cool. Fry in batches, if necessary.) Regulate the fat so it just bubbles, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on each side, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Drain thoroughly on a wire rack or on crumpled paper towels, and serve.
Fried chicken is delicious eaten hot, warm, at room temperature or cold.
Per serving: 494 calories (percent of calories from fat, 59), 38 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 32 grams fat (12 grams saturated), 138 milligrams cholesterol, 466 milligrams sodium.

Tomato Gravy
2 cups (4-6 servings)
Hands on: 25 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
There are many who think a gravy or sauce of any kind would be gilding the lily —- and at Watershed the bird comes naked. However, in his cookbook Scott Peacock provides this offering for gravy lovers.
2 tablespoons bacon fat or pan drippings from fried chicken
1 cup finely diced onion
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 pound tomatoes, fresh or canned, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/3-inch pieces ( 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
Heat the bacon fat or pan drippings in a heavy nonreactive skillet and add the diced onion. Saute over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, pepper and thyme, and cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring well, for another 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook 5 minutes longer.
Slowly stir in the milk and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Taste carefully for seasoning, adding more salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. Serve hot.

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