Juneteenth – Also known as Juneteenth Independence Day and Freedom Day is an American holiday celebrated in black communities around the country (and in recent years, around the globe) that marks the date — June 19, 1865 — when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas finally got word that the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. The government had sent Army couriers from Washington to all slave-holding states to read the Proclamation aloud to all, but Texas was a long way away. By the time Major General Gordon Granger arrived at the Port of Galveston to spread the news of emancipation, two and a half years had passed. The occasion was commemorated with church services, communal picnics with delicious food and parades—a tradition that continues to this day in many places.
Food is a major part of Juneteenth celebrations. Red is a color that is seen everywhere during Juneteenth. You find it as red soda water, strawberry pies, red velvet cake and in red beans and rice. The classic color symbolizes blood lost during the struggle for emancipation.
Rev. Dr. Ronald Myers said it best: “Watermelon and red soda water are the oldest traditional foods on Juneteenth,” said Myers, head of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. “And there’s always been soul food served. Fried chicken and barbecue and greens and black-eyed peas. I’m getting hungry! At any traditional Juneteenth dinner that’s what you’ll find.”
We are huge fans of fried chicken, so we decided to feature our dear friend Ira’s Fried Chicken Recipe. Ira arrived at my house with duffel bags filled with oil and big containers full of chicken breasts, thighs, wings, liver AND oysters ready to go into the fryer. What could be better? He lovingly texted me the recipe. As with many recipes, this one has been handed down from family members “by osmosis” and not necessarily by precise instructions or quantities.
Ira’s Fried Chicken
Ingredients
⁃ Select the chicken parts you wanna cook: breast take longer to cook so when you get then, cut them in half, drum sticks, wings, what ever you decide you wanna cook.
⁃ Get a quart of Butter milk and a bottle of beer – select your own and combine the two in a container that you can soak the chicken in. Use more or less depending on how much chicken your cooking.
⁃ Seasoning: you can either over season or, if you serve with a hot sauce “southern style” that’s cool also! mix black pepper, pink salt, seasoning salt, cumin, red pepper flakes, celery salt, rosemary fresh – Season the chicken with all, but season to taste, because you have to season the butter milk and beer the same way and soak the chicken preferably over night in the fridge .
⁃ The chicken that soaked overnight, add one or two eggs to that mixture and mix the wet chicken around in it well, make sure you mix the eggs well into the wet mixture well. The eggs allow the dry mix to bind the coating well.
⁃ Buy some white flour and cornmeal, 3/4 flour and less than 1/4 of cornmeal and combine and put into separate bowl. You will take the chicken that has soaked and dip it into another bowl and coat the pieces with the dry seasoning.
Directions
⁃ Fry the chicken in Canola oil, it’s the best oil that will allow the hottest heat/temperature. Use a wok or a cast iron skillet , something that has a deep base so the level will cover the pieces of meat that you put into the pan. Most important, “don’t crowd the chicken” meaning, don’t put too many pieces of chicken in the pan at the same time.
⁃ Allow the chicken to get very golden brown , you have to watch them, best to almost over cook them remove and place on a baking rack in an oven that is 350 hot and just add each piece to the rack that is allowing each piece to rest /settle at the same time, it will allow the chicken to completely cook
