Southern Supper

I'm back!  Sorry for the hiatus.  Things just got kinda busy and I was kinda lazy.  :)
I can't say I have ever really been to the true South, but I'd love to go someday.  This is my interpretation of a southern-style dinner.  Pretend you are in the deep south, and enjoy!

Drink...

Old Fashioned

As I have said before, I am not a whiskey fan, but this is another whiskey drink that I really enjoy.  Hmmm . . . maybe I really like whiskey?  Anyway, this drink has a bit of a bite, but once you get used to it, it's quite delicious (and potent).  The Old Fashioned is rumored to have been invented in the 1880s at a gentleman's club in Louisville, Kentucky.   If only I had a parlor in a southern home in which to drink it!
Ingredients:

• 2 oz. bourbon
• 1 lump Sugar
• 1-3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Maraschino cherry
• Splash of water (optional) 
• Ice
• Orange slice and lemon twist (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Place sugar in the bottom of a glass. Wet the sugar with bitters.
2. Add the cherry (and splash of water if using it) to the glass. Muddle ingredients.
3. Add bourbon and ice.  
4. Stir gently. 
5. Garnish and serve. 

Dinner... 

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Fried Chicken Breasts

*recipe from Rock Recipes 
I did not think these were the greatest.  Fine, but not the greatest.  Doug liked them a lot more than I did.  They are fried though, which can never be that bad.  Plus, no food is more emblematic of Southern cuisine than fried chicken.
Ingredients:
(serves 4)

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 cups flour 
• 4 tsp salt
• 4 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp ground thyme
• 2 tsp ground sage
• 2 tbsp paprika 
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 4 eggs
• 8 tbs water 

Honey Garlic Sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 – 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup honey
• ¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium soya sauce is best)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
   
  

Directions:

Frying the chicken.

1. Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet, pound the meat to an even 1/2 inch thickness. Alternatively, you can slice the breasts by placing them flat on a cutting board and using a very sharp knife to slice them into halves horizontally.
2. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then dip the meat in the flour and spice mixture. Dip the breast into the eggwash and then a final time into the flour and spice mix, pressing the mix into the meat for good contact.  
3. Heat a skillet on the stove with about a half inch of canola oil covering the bottom. You will want to carefully regulate the temperature here so that the chicken does not brown too quickly. The thinness of the breast meat practically guarantees that it will be fully cooked by the time the outside is browned. I find just below medium heat works well. I use a burner setting of about 4 1/2 out of 10 on the dial and fry them gently for about 4 or 5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. 
4. Drain on a wire rack.
5. Make the honey garlic sauce: 
1. In a medium saucepan add the oil and garlic.
2. Cook over medium heat to soften the garlic but do not let it brown. 
3. Add the honey, soy sauce, and black pepper.
4. Simmer together for 5-10 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Watch this carefully as it simmers because it can foam up over the pot very easily. 

    6.  Dip the fried chicken into the honey garlic sauce.

Dessert...

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

*recipe from Allrecipes.com 
I really like pecan pie, and what other way to make it better than add chocolate and booze?  This was a really good recipe.  Having never made pecan pie, I was a little intimidated.  But, it turns out to be super easy to make.  Y'all don't have to be from the south to agree that this pie is delicious!   
Ingredients:
(makes 1 large, 9 inch pie, or 2 smaller pies)

• 1 (9 inch) pie shell
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a small saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, and butter or margarine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter or margarine melts and sugar dissolves. Cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl combine eggs, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Slowly pour sugar mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until set and golden. May be served warm or chilled.