Buttermilk fried chicken, a dad’s gift to himself

My five-star recipe yields a crisp crust and luscious interior.

View in browser|nytimes.com June 16, 2024 Sam Sifton's buttermilk fried chicken. Karsten Moran for The New York Times Buttermilk fried chicken with an easy, no-recipe gravy By Sam Sifton Good morning. It's been slow out here in the shallow water, looking for fish on pancakes of sand, by muddy banks, in rock piles where the tide sluices in and out, at spots with names known only to those who fish them: Cheney's; Manny's Place; Ethan Allen; Left Side; Derr's Flat. We stand on the boat, on a platform at the stern or on the softening deck in the bow, and we look. We stare. We see. Sometimes the fish come, sliding around happy in the middle of the outgoing tide: Cast! Other times they don't, and eyes move up: an osprey, a wisp of cloud, a bald eagle, a flapping flag on a pole a mile away, an oystercatcher, a jetliner inbound from Europe, terns, oak trees, a congregation of glossy ibises flapping into a wedge above the marsh. All this but my thoughts run, mostly, to dinner: the chicken I've got resting in a buttermilk bath for fried chicken (above), a father's gift to himself, my favorite fried chicken recipe, hard-won over time. Featured Recipe Buttermilk Fried Chicken View Recipe → I'd like it with mashed potatoes, green beans and a river of gravy. The gravy's easily made: Just swirl a few tablespoons of the oil you've used to fry the chicken into a pan set over medium-low heat and, when it's hot, add an equal amount of flour. Stir this around vigorously to rid the mixture of lumps, then cook until it's just beginning to smell nutty. Add a splash of stock or white wine, stir again to combine, and then add milk or half and half, stirring all the while, until you've got something that looks like gravy, that coats the back of a spoon. Season aggressively with salt and black pepper, then thin it out if you need to with more stock or wine. Maybe strawberry shortcakes for dessert? That's a nice Father's Day meal on the nicest of Father's Days, even absent a fish. As for the rest of the week. … Monday There's something deeply comforting about Colu Henry's recipe for creamy white beans with herb oil, a 15-minute pantry meal that pairs brilliantly with a simple green salad and a hunk of bread. Did someone once crumble cooked bacon over the top? He did! Linda Xiao for The New York Times Creamy White Beans With Herb Oil By Colu Henry 15 minutes Makes 2 to 4 servings Tuesday What a cool recipe from Jan Scannell, adapted by Sheela Prakash: the South African grilled cheese sandwiches known as braaibroodgies, made with sweet fruit chutney and cooked over coals, or a medium-low gas grill, or even a cast-iron pan in a pinch. Scannell believes that "the correct way to slice braaibroodjies is diagonally, and the correct time to serve is immediately." Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Chris Lanier. Braaibroodjie (Grilled Cheese and Chutney Sandwiches) Recipe from Jan Braai Adapted by Sheela Prakash 35 minutes Makes 4 servings Wednesday It's Juneteenth, a wonderful day to make Millie Peartree's roasted garlicky chicken sandwiches with red cabbage slaw. With her strawberry ginger limeade to go along with them? Yes, indeed. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Garlicky Chicken Sandwiches With Red Cabbage Slaw By Millie Peartree 55 minutes Makes 8 sandwiches David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Strawberry-Ginger Limeade By Millie Peartree 15 minutes Makes 8 servings Thursday Ali Slagle's recipe for green curry glazed tofu is fragrant, sweet and spicy, a weeknight win worth repeating again and again. And there's no need to press the tofu. A warming stint in the pan lets it crisp right up. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Green Curry Glazed Tofu By Ali Slagle 25 minutes Makes 2 servings Friday And then you can head into the weekend with Nargisse Benkabbou's 40-minute chicken tagine, made with boneless chicken thighs, olives, preserved lemon, melted onions and a big hit of ginger, ground turmeric and garlic. So good. Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Weeknight Chicken Tagine By Nargisse Benkabbou 40 minutes  Makes 4 to 6 servings There are many thousands more recipes waiting for you on New York Times Cooking. To answer a question I get quite a lot: Yes, you need a subscription to read them. Subscriptions make this whole enterprise possible. I hope, if you haven't taken one out yet, that you will consider subscribing today. Thanks. We're monitoring our inbox, should you find yourself at odds with our technology. Just write to cookingcare@nytimes.com, and someone will get back to you. Or if you'd just like to say hello, you can write to me. I'm at foodeditor@nytimes.com. I can't respond to every letter. But I do read every one I get. Now, it's nothing to do with rosemary or thyme, but you're going to want to read Ian Parker on a wild story of home renovation, starring Kanye West, in The New Yorker. Michael Adno went to Florida to investigate the concept of worm grunting, for the Oxford American. Do you listen to The New York Times Book Review podcast? Y'oughta. Elin Hilderbrand is this episode's guest. Finally, here's Neil Young to play us off: "Old Man," live in 1971. Happy Father's Day. I'll be back next week. Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? 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