Food - Drink
What Makes Maryland Fried Chicken Unique?
By LAUREN ROTHMAN
Besides its crispy deliciousness that few other foods can surpass, fried chicken is so special because different kinds can be found all over the world, though the dish is often associated with the American south. If you're not a southerner, but rather a New Englander, you don't have to travel further than Maryland to enjoy a unique take on fried chicken.
Like many other kinds of fried chicken, Maryland fried chicken is dredged in seasoned flour and fried in oil, but it's cooked in a cast iron skillet, then topped with a creamy country gravy made with flour and milk. The gravy is cooked in the same skillet as the chicken, with some of the reserved fat and drippings from the meat.
Maryland fried chicken is similar to "chicken fried chicken," but uses pieces of chicken instead of a cutlet. This dish has been a part of the Old Line State's gastronomy since at least 1886, when the first recipe was published, and for an extra kick of Maryland flavor, mix Old Bay into the flour; this trick became popular in Baltimore in 1939.