History and Preparation
Many Maryland families have their own heirloom recipes for this dish, and it remains a regional specialty in Eastern Shore restaurants.
The primary factor which distinguishes Maryland fried chicken from other Southern fried chicken is that rather than cooking the chicken in several inches of oil or shortening, the chicken is pan-fried in a heavy (traditionally cast-iron) skillet and covered tightly after the initial browning so that the chicken steams as well as fries. Milk or cream is then added to the pan juices to create a white cream gravy, another Maryland characteristic.
Escoffier had a recipe for "Chicken à la Maryland" in his landmark cookbook Ma Cuisine, but there is no canonical version of the recipe. Often the chicken is marinated in a buttermilk marinade. Breading recipes vary in use of egg or buttermilk and the seasoning of the flour; the seasoning of the cream gravy also varies widely, although gravy is a signature aspect of the dish.
Read more about this topic: Chicken Maryland
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