Bonus (Recipe for Success)

"Man does not live by volleyball alone..."

Here's a recipe from the MasterClass GOAT series. Charles Gabriel, the "fried chicken king" of Harlem, shares his mother's recipe. Gabriel started cooking out a brownstone, graduated to a food truck, and then a restaurant. He is one of 20 children! This man knows chicken. I can't wait to try it.  

Mom’s Famous Seasoning

• 4 oz (8 tbsp) salt
• 1 oz (2 tbsp) granulated garlic
• 1 oz (2 tbsp) granulated onion
• 1 oz (2 tbsp) black pepper

For the Chicken

• 1 whole chicken (2.5 lb or 3 lb), cut into 9 pieces
• 2 tsp Mom’s Famous Seasoning

Egg Wash

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp Mom’s Famous Seasoning

Breading

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Mom’s Famous Seasoning

Pan-Frying and Assembly

• About 2.5 quarts (10 cups) soybean oil
• Honey for serving (optional)

• Make Mom’s Famous Seasoning

  1. Mix together the ingredients for Mom’s Famous Seasoning in a medium bowl with a spoon. Store in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

  Prepare the Chicken

  1. Break down the chicken into 9 pieces with a sharp knife, keeping the skin on: 2 breasts, 2 legs, 2 wings, 2 thighs, and 1 center breast. Place the chicken pieces on a large flat surface, such as a tray, baking sheet, or the bottom of a baking dish. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Mom’s Famous Seasoning over the chicken. Using your hands, massage the seasoning into each piece of chicken thoroughly, about 2 minutes total. Cover the chicken tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

  Make the Egg Wash

  1. When you’re ready to pan-fry the chicken, remove the chicken from the refrigerator, set it aside, and make the egg wash. In a large bowl, mix the eggs together with a whisk. Add the milk, and mix with the whisk. Then whisk in Mom’s Famous Seasoning. Stir until the ingredients are well combined and the consistency is loose, not thick or foamy, 10 to 15 seconds.

  Make the Breading

  1. For the breading, use a clean whisk to combine the ingredients in a separate large bowl.

  Make the Chicken

  1. Set up a baking sheet with a cooling rack over it, and place a colander in a large bowl. Add the soybean oil to a 12- or 15-inch cast-iron pan, enough to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat, until it reaches 350°F. The oil in the pan is hot enough when a pinch of flour sizzles when added to it, or in about 15 minutes.

  2. Submerge each piece of chicken in the egg wash for a few seconds, quickly dunking the pieces of chicken in and out, using your hands or kitchen tongs. After taking the chicken out of the wash, let it drain in the colander that’s set in the bowl. Next, place the drained chicken in the flour mixture, coating each piece of chicken thoroughly and shaking off the excess flour by knocking the chicken pieces together over the bowl.

  3. If you are using a 12-inch cast-iron pan, cook the chicken in batches. If you are using a 15-inch cast-iron pan, all the chicken pieces should be able to fit at one time. Carefully drop one piece of chicken at a time into the hot oil, skin side up. Don’t let the oil spill over the sides of the pan; this could cause a fire.

  4. Every 2 minutes, carefully turn each piece of chicken with kitchen tongs so it cooks on all sides. Cook for about 21 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown all over. (Smaller pieces will take about 18 minutes; turn them more frequently so they don’t burn.) Also, reduce the heat to low when the chicken starts to float as it cooks, in order to prevent burning. When the chicken is cooked, remove the pieces from the oil with kitchen tongs and place them on the cooling rack that’s set over the baking sheet. Let the chicken rest for less than 2 minutes, or until cool enough to touch. Serve with honey, if desired.

• Lagniappe. Indefensible