Fried Chicken

Chef Rufus Estes’ fried chicken from 1911 with fried parsley

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City/Region: United States of America

Time Period: 1911

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Rufus Estes was the first black celebrity chef in the US, working in the fanciest of places like luxury train cars and cooking for celebrities like Andrew Carnegie and JP Morgan. He also was the first black chef to write a cookbook, where we get this recipe for fried chicken.

This is the first episode with a guest in the kitchen with me! Chef Kiki (www.chefkikiskitchen.com) graciously helped me prepare Chef Rufus’ fried chicken from 1911 and also made her phenomenal modern fried chicken. The 1911 marinade is very different from modern fried chicken marinades. It consists of mostly butter and root vegetables, neither of which we really tasted in the end result. Chef Rufus’ version was moist and crispy, but not that flavorful, especially compared to the one that Chef Kiki prepared. To see a side-by-side comparison of Chef Estus’ and Chef Kiki’s chicken, check out the episode by clicking the button above.

“Fried Chicken
Cut up two chickens. Put a quarter of a pound of butter, mixed with a spoonful of flour, into a saucepan with pepper, salt, little vinegar, parsley, green onions, carrots and turnips, into a saucepan and heat. Steep the chicken in this marinade three hours, having dried the pieces and floured them. Fry a good brown. Garnish with fried parsley.”

— Good Things to Eat as Suggested by Rufus by Rufus Estes, 1911

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 large turnip, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion
• 1/3 cup parsley
• 1 to 2 tablespoons vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 small chickens, cut up
• Flour
• Lard or oil, for frying
• Parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the butter with the flour, turnip, carrots, green onion, parsley vinegar, and a large pinch of both salt and pepper.
2. Cook the mixture in a pan for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Pour the mixture over the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Marinate for 3 hours.
4. Gently pat the marinated chicken dry. Dip them in some flour, making sure the entire piece gets coated.
5. Heat the lard in a deep skillet to 350°F (175°C). You want enough oil to come at least halfway up the chicken pieces, they don’t need to be completely covered or deep fried. Carefully place the chicken in the hot oil. Chef Kiki’s tip for crispy fried chicken is to not crowd the pan with too many pieces, so work in batches. Remove the chicken when it’s a deep golden brown, setting them on a wire rack. Check to make sure the thickest part of the chicken has reached 165°F (75°C).
6. Chop the parsley and fry it in the oil until crispy.
7. Garnish the fried chicken with the fried parsley and serve it forth.

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