Comfort recipes from Big Daddy

Food Network Fan · 08-21-2008, 11:58 AM

Comfort recipes from Big Daddy
Philadelphia Daily News - Philadelphia,PA,USA
Here are some of Aaron McCargo's winning recipes, comfort food that's served with big flavor in big portions. Find more of his recipes online at food Smash ...

Chefnot · 08-21-2008, 12:08 PM

Steaks for dinner tonight! Was just thinking that and this article just put me over the edge....

Pluff Mudder · 08-21-2008, 04:39 PM

I still want to make that potato au gratin dish from the second show.

Bentley Green · 08-22-2008, 12:53 AM

I want to try the steak that he did in the pilot show. But I'm not going to kiss it while it's raw!

PicBuddy · 08-22-2008, 01:15 AM

We just finished up a fried chicken dinner with Aaron's recipe from last Sunday's show. I'll post the recipe down below in the recipe section. We made it almost exactly like what is listed on the Food Network recipe section here:
Recipes : Funky Fried Chicken : Food Network

Yet we cut the batch down to dinner for (2) people, and did made it with "wing" drumettes instead of a whole chicken. I found two differences between the website recipe, and what he showed on TV (we were watching the show on a laptop when cooking)... The website calls for kosher salt, but on TV he said "seasoned salt". Since we didn't have either I just used my own blend of Pink Himilayan and Red Hawaiian Lava salt, fresh ground. The other difference is that he used somewhat large hand measured (he said 1/4 cup) amount of Smoked Paprika on TV yet the website says 2 tablespoons. So we compensated for that as well, by doubling the amount of the website recipe, to more accurately match what he showed on Big Daddy's House, in our half sized recipe.

So... How did it come out? Have a look!

Awesome!

It's a unique fried chicken for us. Different than any other than the wife and I have ever eaten. It has a flavor that reminded both of us, like something you would eat
at someones house. It tastes like home cooking. And a flavor that I can't quite describe in words. You would just have to try it. It's filling, so good you want to keep eating more, but it's not over-powerful in any way that we can detect. It is NOT too salty which is a wonderful thing for us. Seems like a pretty much perfect blend of spice. You can taste the smoked Paprika and I am pretty sure that is what sets it off in a different direction than anything we have ever tasted. It's totally different than the bucket of fried chicken fast food / take out drive through places, different than any fried chicken my family has ever made, and different than any I have had at southern home style mom and pop dives. We are really glad to have tried it. I am pretty amazed at how easy it was to follow his directions from the show, and come up with a dinner that's remarkably different than anything we have ever tasted.

Here's our Drumettes for 2 adaptation:
http://www.foodnetworkfans.com/forum...ettes-2-a.html

Aaron's food has got our attention now. Hmmm.... What next.... Maybe steaks tomorrow? ......

Pluff Mudder · 08-22-2008, 01:33 AM

Thanks for the report! I'll have to give it a go, but I'm going to use my deep fryer instead of the skillet. Less mess.

Bentley Green · 08-22-2008, 01:58 AM

That chicken looks GOOD!!

PicBuddy · 08-22-2008, 02:05 AM

Bentley, I'm tellin' you. It was good. I am still licking my fingers, and you should get a smell of our kitchen. Absolutely wonderful.

PicBuddy · 08-22-2008, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pluff Mudder

Thanks for the report! I'll have to give it a go, but I'm going to use my deep fryer instead of the skillet. Less mess.

We actually used a large deep, high sided aluminum Wok. Aaron covered his iron skillet with aluminum foil but we just used the glass lid to the Wok type pan. Clean up wasn't bad really, only took about 3-4 minutes. One thing I was surprised about is how deep burgundy red the oil turned. Must have been from the Paprika. (SMOKED that is... hehe)

Let us know how it turns out.

ibcheft · 08-22-2008, 10:58 AM

Dang, them there wings look mighty delicious, Buddy (you do live in Houston) did you get your smoked paprika from whole foods ? what brand was it, and have you been to the central market, do they have it, in the organic ? I don't want to make a trip downtown and not find it. The stores out here only have one brand, and I have not been really impressed with their spices.