The Dogfather

"I was never here and you never saw what

 happened to Mr. Duck.  Capiche?"

Eye on the Prize

Barkley lies on my dresser so I can say goodbye to him when I leave the house. I put his all-time favorite toy on top of the box.  Mr. Squeeky was an infuriatingly loud toy but Barkley carried it everywhere. His doggie day camp had a purple one and they had a cam in the yard so we could see the dogs at play on their website and he ALWAYS had that toy so I found him one after searching about 87 different pet stores in Indiana.

So when I found this photo of him, I just had to place it here so he can keep an eye on Mr. Squeaky.

Gone in a Flash - Buttermilk Brined Chicken

The photo above was a still from a video Tam shot of me at the range. But the "gone in a flash" I'm referring to is dinner. 

Oven Crunch Buttermilk Brined Chicken

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. To start, get out a cookie sheet or jellyroll pan (line with foil if you wish, for easy clean up) and place a wire rack on it if you have one. But first, the brine!

Buttermilk Brine:

2 cups buttermilk
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 teaspoons Heavy Metal Heat Hot Sauce
1/2 of a large sweet onion, chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, smashed

1 whole chicken cut into pieces, rinsed and patted dry (or you can use bone-in breasts and/or some leg/thigh quarters or assorted pieces, about 2-3 pounds total).

Coating Mix:

2 cups crushed Rice Crispies brand cereal (I've also made this with crushed Rice or Corn Chex)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the green can)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon Hot Hungarian Paprika

Mix together buttermilk, lemon juice, hot sauce, onion, garlic, and thyme in a bowl. Use a size that will submerge the chicken pieces like Sea Wolf. Add chicken, cover with Saran Wrap, and marinate in the fridge for 6-12 hours

Mix well-crushed cereal, Parmesan cheese, thyme, and Paprika together. Remove chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and dredge in the coating, pressing firmly so that it will adhere.

Sprinkle with a dash of salt and freshly ground pepper and bake in a preheated for about 45 minutes until golden and crisp (check at 40 minutes). Do not turn while baking, or you'll lose some of the coating.

Enjoy - We had rosemary/honey roasted sweet potatoes and sourdough baguette garlic toast with it.

Oh NO Mr. Bill!

 

I'm not sure what's worse, regular Mondays or those that come after a 3-day holiday weekend.  My phone was blowing up before I'd even logged on and poured a cup of coffee this morning.