Sunday Brunch for My Sister

Sunday, December 4, 2005

A few weeks ago, my baby sister came to visit for the weekend. We had a great time while she was here, and for her send-off brunch on Sunday after church, I made fried chicken and biscuits. Fried chicken is really not hard to make; it just takes the willingness to get grease all over you and your kitchen. But I love it nonetheless, and I particularly like to make it for people I love.

When David and I visited his brother and wife in LA this summer, we had a southern-themed party for their friends. Among many other things, I made this chicken with Comeback Sauce, and it was a big hit. You can make the chicken without the spices in the flour, but I really like the way they pair with the flavors in the dressing. According to Mississippi chef and cookbook author Robert St. John (famous around these parts for what must be one of the best-named cookbooks ever), Comeback Sauce is an original Mississippi creation. Maybe that's why my native Mississippi family makes it so well.

This recipe belongs to my Aunt Prissy. My family uses it for a number of things--to dip fried chicken, to spread on Saltine crackers, to dress our salad. According to legend, the sauce is so-named because it will keep you coming back for more. I don't know if that's true, but it sounds right to me.

Here's the recipe for the chicken and Comeback Sauce; you can find the biscuit recipe here.

But first, here is my lovely sister, with whom I hope to share many, many good meals in the future. Come back soon Elizabeth! A recipe for the apple pie she made for dessert is soon to follow...!

PAPRIKA-SPICED FRIED CHICKEN

6 boneless chicken breasts

Buttermilk, to cover

Salt and pepper

1 c. flour

1/2 c. yellow cornmeal

1 T. paprika

1 t. seasoning salt

1 t. cumin

1 t. chili powder

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, salt and pepper, and soak in buttermilk for at least an hour (or overnight). To fry, heat about 1 cup of safflower or canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip chicken pieces in flour mixture and fry in batches until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes per batch. Be careful not to let chicken brown too quickly; remove from skillet to paper towels to drain when golden brown and crispy.

MISSISSIPPI COMEBACK SAUCE

2-3 cloves garlic

Half a sweet yellow onion 

1 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. ketchup

1/4 c. chili sauce

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 t. yellow mustard

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

Tabasco (a couple of dashes)

In a blender or food processor, chop the garlic and onion until finely minced. Add remaining ingredients; blend until well-combined.

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