Fried Chicken with Chipotle Apple Slaw and Cheddar Grits

I just traveled for a very quick work trip to Los Angeles and I ate at a fantastic bar/restaurant in Santa Monica called Misfits. This is my take on a fried chicken sandwich with spicy slaw salad I ate that was absolutely incredible. If you're in LA stop by this joint. Everything we ate was fantastic.

And why not go for some southern comfort foods when it's winter?! Perfect time to put on a bit of winter weight and enjoy some comfort food. I fried this chicken in crisco. You could use peanut oil but I chose cooking this dish the way my Grandmother would.

Shopping List:

1 16oz container of Crisco

chicken cutlets and drumsticks

buttermilk

flour

paprika

2 green apples

1/4 red cabbage

2 tbs chipotle in adobo

1 lemon

butter pickles

1 cup quick cooking grits

4 cups whole milk

1 cup cheddar cheese

Fried Chicken:

1. Season your chicken with S&P and add into a bowl pouring buttermilk over the chicken until it covers all pieces. Add 1 tbs paprika. Mix together and store in the refrigerator over night, covered in plastic wrap.

2. In that handy cast iron skillet heat the entire tub of crisco on medium-high heat.

3. On a plate add a cup of flour, S&P and 1 tbs paprika. Mix together. Take each piece of chicken out of the buttermilk and coat in the flour mix. Do not rinse off the buttermilk. This add delicious flavor! Cook in the skillet for 5 minutes on each side just don't over crowd the skillet.

Chipotle Apple Slaw:

Grate the apples and the cabbage on a mandelin (julien setting). Add slaw to a bowl along with the juice of 1 lemon, the chipotle in adobo (sauce and chopped chipotle) and S&P.

Plate the chicken with a few butter pickles and top with the spicy apple slaw.

Cheddar Grits:

Grits are similar to rice except you add another cup of liquid. For 1 cup grits cook in 4 cups milk. Heat your milk then add the grits. Whisk contantly. Just don't wisk too much so that they firm up completely. You want them a bit loose still. Add the cheddar cheese.

Now I know this isn't a healthy meal. But it sure will drive your taste buds crazy! I like to take left over fried chicken and add to some salad the next day with some of my favorite dressing, parmesan and pepper.

Tip: chiptole in adobo comes in a decent sized can and you never need much of it. Place it in a small plastic bag and freeze it. When you want to use some, just slice off a bit and chop it up. It melts quickly. This will help store the rest of this for a long time!