The score·From then
Mother's skillet chicken
The way she made it. Not written down. Recovered.
The way she made it. Not written down.
He described it from the stove of his childhood. Onion, a lid, no list. We got close enough that he went quiet.
One plate
the dark meat, extra pan juice
The other
a smaller piece, the onions
unhurried·about 50 minutes·first sat with this Monday, June 8
About this much
Adjust until it feels right.
- Chicken pieces — bone-in if you have them
- An onion, sliced thick
- Salt, the way she would have done it — more than looks polite
- A little oil or the fat in the pan
- Water, just enough to make steam under a lid
- Nothing else unless something comes back.
Play it
A suggestion, not a command.
- 01This is not a recipe to follow. It is a kitchen to stand in again.
- 02Salt the chicken. Let it sit while the pan warms.
- 03Brown it without fussing. Onion in around it.
- 04A splash of water. Lid on. Leave it. The lid is the whole method.
- 05When it smells like a house you used to live in, it is close enough.
- 06If the kitchen goes quiet, do not ask if it is right. It is close enough.