From the A New Harvest Season article in the April 2016 issue.

Blue Corn Fried Chicken

Serves 4

The secret to this dish is to use the highest-quality chicken you can find (free range, organic) and to soak it in buttermilk for a minimum of 12 hours—Chef Ruiz likes to marinate it for as long as 2–3 days. Don’t be afraid to leave it in the refrigerator; the more the chicken rests in the buttermilk, the more tender it will be. Buttermilk is the secret to fried chicken in the Deep South, and Ruiz has paired this tradition with Native American tradition by adding blue corn, a food sacred to Pueblo and Navajo people and other Southwestern tribes. For Pueblo people, blue corn represents gifts that we receive from the earth and our Creator.

4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 quart buttermilk
1 cup blue corn flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
4 cups canola oil

Carefully slice chicken breasts in half, in two long, flat pieces, and soak in buttermilk in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Combine blue corn flour, all-purpose flour, and salt and pepper in a flat sheet or bowl. Heat canola oil to 350° F in a stainless-steel pot. Coat chicken with the blue corn mixture. Fry chicken, 2 pieces at a time, in hot oil for 5 minutes, or until brown and crispy. Serve with sausage gravy, mashed sweet potatoes, and sweet potato chips.

Check out the recipes for Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Sausage Gravy and Sweet Potato Chips for the complete meal!

Author: David Ruiz