Theodore Roosevelt's Favorite Fried Chicken Recipe

The badder the land… the better the chicken?

When Theodore Roosevelt up and moved to North Dakota, he deepened his love for a few of life’s simple pleasures: fresh air, fulfilling days, and fried chicken.

That last one is especially true. After a long day spent on the Elkhorn Ranch, it’s documented that TR’s favorite welcome home was a warm plate of fried chicken, crisped in bacon fat and smothered in gravy, just like his momma made it! These days, you can make the same delicious dish without chasing your entrée across the open plains…aren’t we lucky?

Set aside some time for the buttermilk brine to work its magic, dredge thoroughly, and feel inclined to use a little bacon fat for the gravy, should you have it on hand.

Follow the recipe below for your own presidential piece of plucked perfection.

Ingredients

For the Brine:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1½ teaspoons salt

For the Dredge & Frying:

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup corn starch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 4 cups peanut oil

For the Gravy:

• 2 tablespoons bacon fat or butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1½ cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• salt
• cracked black pepper

Get Cookin':

1. Place chicken thighs between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound to ½ inch thick. In a medium bowl, add the buttermilk, egg, and 1½ teaspoons of salt. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Add chicken to the buttermilk mixture and brine for at least 4 hours or, preferably, overnight.

2. Prepare the dredge in a large bowl. Whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and cracked black pepper. Mix 2 tablespoons of buttermilk brine into the dredge with your hands, pressing to create small flaky bits. Remove chicken from brine, allowing excess liquid to drip back off into the brine bowl. Working with your hands, toss and flip the chicken in the dredge, taking care to press flour into all the nooks and crannies. Gently shake the chicken to remove any excess flour and transfer to a large plate.

3. Preheat oven to 200°F. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat oil to 400°F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and have paper towels handy.

4. Gently lower chicken into the oil and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove chicken. Allow excess oil to drip back off into the pan before moving to wire rack. Blot briefly with paper towels. Remove damp towels and transfer chicken to the oven while you cook the remaining pieces and make the gravy.

5. For the gravy, heat the bacon fat or butter in a medium saucepan or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling, add the flour, whisking constantly to incorporate, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer. Continue to whisk until the gravy has thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle onto chicken and serve immediately.