Super (Bowl) Food

Don't get me wrong, I definitely do not watch American football. I have absolutely no idea what it's about. But it seems that the superbowl inspires people to cook fried, saucy, cheesy food, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I have been having an insidious craving for fried chicken for, well, the last few weeks. Insidious enough that I actually went to TGI Friday's in my quest to get some. They didn't have any, and I was left feeling shameful for spending money there. Anyway, today was my first attempt at making my own. I won't say it was a success, because it was certainly a trial and error process.

The next time I make fried chicken, I will think about cooking the chicken in a buttermilk bath before frying it. It was just a little too difficult to rely on the frying process to create a tender, cooked inside and a crisp golden exterior simultaneously.

The remaining batter made some pretty nice onion rings, but I have to say that the Apple Celery Salad that went with all this fried stuff was a real winner.

Apple and Celery Salad with Mustard-Mayonnaise Dressing
Serves 2


5 sticks celery, trimmed and sliced thinly (plus the inner leaves from the celery)
1 apple, cored and sliced thinly - use a tart apple, like Granny Smith or Pink Lady
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted in a dry pan (optional)
A bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon yoghurt or sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Half a clove of garlic, finely grated
Salt and pepper, to taste

Make the dressing by whisking the mayonnaise, mustard, yoghurt or sour cream, lemon juice and grated garlic together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix the celery and apple slices together, as well as most of the celery leaves and parsley, and dress with the dressing. Top with the remaining parsley, celery leaves and fennel seeds. Serve.