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Siria Flores's Fried Chicken
by Nora Sherman
Siria Flores is an 84-year-old grandmother of nine and great-grandmother of nine more. She did not bring many possessions when she followed her grown daughter and two sons from Cuba to Miami. But she carried her most cherished heirlooms, including the recipes that she had learned as a child in her family's kitchen. She doesn't need recipe cards or notebooks, however, as these recipes are permanent fixtures in her memory. Mrs. Flores moved in with her daughter Nery Quintela, and her granddaughter, Lisa. She also appointed herself the family cook and began to prepare elaborate midday meals, meat or fish surrounded by platters of fried plantains, plain rice, huge salads, and served with wine as well as homemade Cuban desserts.
“My mother cooked for ten people even when it was just the three of us,” Quintela says of her mother, “and now that Lisa has moved to New York to attend law school, I have to invite friends over just to help us eat all the food that she makes.”
She has no problem filling the table when the fried chicken is being served. Her mother’s subtly spiced Cuban version of America’s favorite picnic dish is a local hero. Her daughter, she finds, tends to head home to learn the secret of the dish from her grandmother as well.
Siria's Fried Chicken
12 chicken legs
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Canola oil for frying
1. Clean the chicken legs and pat dry. Combine the garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the chicken legs and marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. In a large, deep skillet over low heat, heat about 1 inch of canola oil. Place the chicken legs in the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. You may have to fry the chicken in 2 or 3 batches. Cook until the meat is tender and juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Keep the cooked chicken legs warm in the oven as you fry the rest.
Makes 6 servings.
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