The week of Christmas, my thoughts often turn to my mother. Christmas Day, 1996, she left the limitations of this earth to be forever in the presence of God. She had more than her share of trials: all her life she dealt with rheumatic heart disease caused by an untreated childhood illness. She had multiple cardiac valve replacements with fatigue being her constant companion. She was widowed at 37, leaving seven children, aged sixteen to four years old, to her solitary care. At 47, she threw a massive clot in her brain, resulting in a debilitating, life altering stroke. For the next twenty years, the roles reversed and we kids cared for her, until her death on December 25, 1996. When I feel sad about her being gone, one of the most comforting images is to think of her healed, whole and healthy, walking and talking in heaven, free of the burdens this life hung on her shoulders.
In my mother's honor, I am sharing a baked chicken recipe that was a staple at our home. We ate a lot of chicken; it was healthy and economical. This dish was her take on southern fried, without the fried. Don't let the simple nature of the ingredients fool you: the resulting poultry is tender and juicy, with a golden, crunchy crust. When I prepared it yesterday for my family, the smell of it baking took me right back to childhood, when I would open the oven door and inhale the buttery cracker aroma, with just a hint of parmesan. It is easy enough to prepare for family dinner, but special enough for company; my mom often fixed this when she entertained. Once you try this chicken, I feel certain it will be added to your short list of "go to" recipes. I wish I could tell my mom how much my family enjoys dining on her old favorite.
Cracker Crumb Chicken
8-10 pieces of chicken (with skin and bones still intact); I usually make mostly breasts with a few legs, but feel free to customize the combination to your own liking
1/4 lb. saltine crackers (that's one sleeve of them)
1/4 c. finely grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. Lawry's Season Salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 c. melted butter
Place crackers, parmesan cheese, dried parsley, seasoned salt and pepper in the food processor; pulse until the mixture is quite fine. In place of the food processor, you can use our old fashioned method: crush the crackers in a large ziplock bag, using a rolling pin. Stir the ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon.
Melt the butter in a shallow, glass pan. If you cover it with a damp paper towel, it won't splatter in the microwave. Completely cover a 10 x 15 x 2 inch sheet pan with foil, assuring easy cleanup later. Preheat the oven to convection bake 325.
Fashion an assembly line, starting with the chicken pieces, then butter, and last the crumb mixture. Coat each piece with butter, turning it over in the pan; place the chicken in the crumbs, rotating to get all the sides, and place it on the foil lined sheet pan. Continue until all the pieces are coated. If there is any leftover butter, drizzle it over the chicken. Pat the extra crumbs on top of the chicken breasts. Bake until golden brown, usually about 1 1/2 hours. If your dinner time gets delayed, after one hour at 325, reduce the heat to 300 and bake for an additional hour or so. Serve up on a platter to your lucky family and friends.
