Chicken Maryland

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007)

Chicken Maryland or Maryland Chicken is a historic dish associated with the U.S. state of Maryland. In its home base, it consists of fried chicken served with a cream gravy.^[1]

Many Maryland families have their own heirloom recipes for this dish. A commercial version is available from the English's restaurant chain on Maryland's eastern shore (the center of Maryland's chicken-related agro-industry.

The primary factor which distinguishes Maryland fried chicken from other Southern fried chicken is that rather than cooking the chicken in several inches of oil or shortening, the chicken is pan-fried in a (traditionally cast-iron) skillet and covered tightly after the initial browning so that the chicken steams as well as frying.

Milk or cream is then added to the pan juices to create a white cream gravy, another Maryland characteristic.

Escoffier had a recipe for "Chicken a la Maryland" in his landmark cookbook "Ma Cuisine", but there is no canonical version. Often the chicken is marinated in a buttermilk marinade. Breading recipes vary in use of egg or buttermilk and the seasoning of the flour; the seasoning of the cream gravy also varies widely, although gravy is a signature aspect of the dish.

Australia

In Australia the term Chicken Maryland simply refers to a butcher's cut comprising of the thigh and leg of chicken, rather than any specific dish.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom a Chicken Maryland is often included on menus in restaurants^{[citation needed]}. Although often considered a children's meal, it can also be served as a large meal. It consists of breaded or battered chicken breast (or drumstick), chips, peas, banana fritter, pineapple fritter, bacon (or a slice of gammon) and fried battered onion rings. Indian and Chinese takeaways and restaurants will often include the meal in a 'European' or 'English' section of their menus.

Elsewhere

Other reported versions include: a fried chicken leg with ham and hush puppies (a batter made with flour, egg, oil, and milk or water, to which corn is added, then deep-fried); batter-fried chicken with hush-puppies and batter-fried bananas and pineapple rings; and bread-crumbed and fried chicken wings & drumsticks with sautéed bananas. Apparently some South-east Asian variations exist, such as one with breaded chicken thighs, hush puppies, and gravy, served with deep-fried potato slices, baby carrots, fried tomato halves, and fried bananas.

The last first class lunch menu on the Titanic included a dish called "Chicken a la Maryland."

External links

• Recipes at ChickenMaryland.com

References