Country Supper

Slow cooked chicken:

Thin, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (can butterfly regular chicken breasts)

4 chicken breasts

1 ½ - 2 cans low sodium chicken broth

2 – 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1/3 cup all-purpose flour added to large Ziplock bag

Add ½ Tablespoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to flour)

Trim any excess fat off chicken, wash, pat dry and add to bag with flour and seasonings.  Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Heat vegetable oil in large skillet; add chicken and cook on medium high heat, browning on both sides.  Turn burner down to medium heat, add about a third of can of chicken broth to skillet, cover and cook.  Liquid will reduce; turn chicken and add more chicken broth, cover with lid.  Repeat until chicken is tender, adding chicken broth each time you turn chicken.

New Potatoes and green beans

8 new potatoes about 2 – 3 inches in size

1 Tablespoon bacon grease

1 Tablespoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Scrape potatoes with tip of a spoon, use a sharp knife point to remove any remaining eyes on potatoes.  It helps to have a bowl of water to dip potatoes in as you’re scraping them.  Wash.  Add potatoes to large pot and cover with water.  Add bacon grease, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover pot and cook until tender.  Remove lid, let potatoes cook, reducing liquid in pot for about 8 minutes.  Drain whole green beans and wash.  Add green beans (no liquid) to pot.  Add ½ teaspoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon white cider vinegar.  Cook on low for about 8 – 10 minutes.

Fresh Corn

8 ears sweet  corn, husked, silked and washed

3 – 4 cups water (add 2 cups to start, then add water as corn cooks down)

4 Tablespoons butter (add 2 Tablespoons at beginning and 2 when corn is done)

1 teaspoon bacon grease

Salt and pepper to taste (don’t add this until corn is cooked)

Holding the small end of the corn up, using a sharp knife, starting at top and going down, cut a thin layer of kernels off corn;  repeat, removing the next layer off. Using the dull side of the knife, scrape the corn all the way down to get the “milk” out from the corn.  Repeat on all ears of corn.  Add to heated skillet; add ½ of water, add 2 Tablespoons butter and the bacon grease.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook, stirring often.  As liquid reduces, add more water.  Cook until done, about 20 – 25 minutes.  Corn will be creamy.  Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter; stir and add salt and pepper to taste.  NOTE:  Corn does not need much salt at all.  You want to taste the sweetness of the corn. 

Cornbread:

1 ½ cups self-rising yellow corn meal mix (you can use white; I prefer yellow)

4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 ½ cup whole milk, or buttermilk

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon bacon grease

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.  Add vegetable oil and bacon grease to 10” cast iron skillet.  Heat on burner until skillet is smoking (watch carefully).  Add corn meal mix, flour, baking powder and salt to mixing bowl.  Stir with whisk.  Add egg and milk.  Using a whisk or mixer, beat together until smooth.  Add to hot skillet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Turn oven up to 450 and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown and crispy.