Everyone usually at some point tries to call me Alison or assumes that Alice is a nickname. But I am an Alice, and I was named after my mother’s mother, Alice. We called her Granny Alice. She was the kind of Grandma people write books about. She was fun, creative and boy could she cook. She was a cook in the St. Paul Public Schools and made a point to have family dinners on Sundays. Her fried chicken was a staple at those dinners and was served with mashed potatoes and gravy that consumed a plate the size of your head. Granny Alice passed this recipe on to my mom, “Bubbie.” Bubbie has perfected the recipe through the years and willingly makes it for us kids every holiday. This dinner brought my mother’s family together for years and it continues to for our family. Each of us kids has been taught the recipe so that we can make it for our children. I was asked to participate in a Chef Challenge for Mother’s Day on Twin Cities Live this year and ended up getting second place! I knew that I had to make the chicken recipe because it is so meaningful to our family. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there and to my Bubbie-thank you for being the best mom a child could ask for and thank for all that you have taught me inside and outside the kitchen, I love you.

Click here to watch the May 7, 2010 episode of TCL when I made this recipe-video available only for one year.

Ingredients
1 52 ounce package of 8 piece cut chicken
4 eggs
1 cup Half and Half
3 cups Flour
3 TB of Coarse Ground Black Pepper
2 TB Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
2 TB Ground Cinnamon
1 ½ sticks (12 TB) Butter
¼ cup Vegetable Oil
Dash of Salt (if desired)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.

Remove chicken from packaging and rinse with cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Trim excess fat from chicken but do not remove the skin. Remove wing tips by cutting last joint off wing and discard any loose pieces of bone. Set aside.

With a hand mixer beat eggs and Half and Half for 1 minute. Set aside.

Add Flour, Pepper, Lawry’s Salt and Cinnamon to a paper bag that has been doubled, shake to mix. Set aside.

Melt butter and vegetable oil over low heat. Butter is ready as soon as it liquefies.

While butter is melting, dip 4 pieces of chicken in egg mixture and then drop pieces into paper bag. Shake for 10 seconds.

Remove chicken from bag and place in frying pan. Cook between 3-5 minutes and flip to other side. Chicken will be light brown and butter will be foaming. Cook for another 3-5 minutes on the other side and remove chicken and place it in a 9×13 pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Repeat procedure for remaining 4 pieces.

Bake chicken at 350 for 1 hour. Flip pieces of chicken after 30 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with dash of salt if desired.

Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy or bring along cold to your next picnic with your family!
4 Servings (about 2 pieces per person).