One of my favorite comfort foods is Oven Fried Chicken and Country Gravy. But to be truthful, I really do not like cleaning the stove top that has spattered grease all over. Several years ago I started doing the Oven Fried Chicken and it is easy and really tastes fantastic. You only have to turn the chicken once while it is in the oven.

My family prefers white meat, so I buy chicken breasts and wings for the Oven Fried Chicken instead of purchasing a chicken to cut up. If you have leftovers, you can always make chicken salad sandwiches, chicken pasta dishes, soups, and other reasonably priced meals.

The Country Gravy is a recipe that has been handed down for generations. It is easy to make and it is so much better than the prepared gravy. In this time of spiraling prices, it is very economical to make homemade gravy.

Oven Fried Chicken

Ingredients
2 1/2 to 3-pound chicken, cut up – 6 Pieces
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup all-purpose flour
2  teaspoon paprika
1 tsp garlic power
2  teaspoon salt
1/2  teaspoon pepper

Preparation
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Wash chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
Place shortening and butter in a 16x9x2 baking pan like a Pyrex Grip-Rite 3-Quart Oblong Baking Dish Clear . Put the pan in the oven to melt the shortening and butter.
Mix flour, salt, paprika garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small board or on a cutting board. Coat chicken pieces thoroughly with flour mixture.
Place chicken, skin side down, in melted shortening and butter.
Place in over and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Turn chicken and cook 30 minutes longer or until thickest pieces are fork-tender.
Remove from baking pan.

Country Gravy

Ingredients
1/4 cup shortening and butter mixture from baking pan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups milk

Procedure
Take a medium bowl and pour the amount of milk you want in the bowl, about 4 cups. The milk should be the amount of gravy you want for your family. Set aside.
Set a medium skillet on the stove top burner. Turn the skillet on medium to heat the skillet so the roux (pronounced roo) will not stick.
Scrape the baking pan where the chicken was cooked. Take 1/4 cup of the shortening and butter mixture left from the cooked chicken pan and add it to the skillet.
Add the flour, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir until it is mixed thoroughly. You can use a whisk, fork, or egg turner to thoroughly mix the roux. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes over low to medium heat until roux is lightly browned.
Gradually add the milk into the skillet stirring constantly. Make sure there are no lumps. Do not let the milk boil.
Continue cooking until the gravy is thickened.  The gravy will thicken a little bit after it is removed from the heat.
Remove from heat and serve.

Tip
If the gravy becomes too thick, you may thin it with a little more milk. If it is to thin, mix some flour and water together and add it slowly to the gravy.

The gravy will have a slight pink color because of the paprika. If you want a white country gravy, set aside some of the flour mixture for coating the chicken before you add the paprika.

Chicken that has the skin on will be just like the chicken that you fried on the stove. The skin will be crispy and wonderfully browned. If you want to use skinless chicken, it will not be as crispy on the outside, but it will taste fantastic.