Cornmeal-Crusted Fried Chicken with Orange Zest

While it’s a time-consuming dish to prepare , fried chicken for picnics and family events is a traditional meal. Not as sophisticated as some dishes, it only requires a bite or two to create a feeding frenzy!
Yield: Serves 4
Whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces 3 pounds
Orange 1 each
Milk 1 cup
Flour 2/3 cup
Yellow cornmeal 2/3 cup
Sunflower or vegetable oil 4 cup
Salt 1 teaspoon
Pepper 1 teaspoon
Method:
1. With a sharp paring knife, citrus stripper or zester cut several long, thin strips of orange peel. From remaining peel, grate 2 tablespoons of zest. Then squeeze the juice.
2. In a large bowl, combine orange zest, 2 tablespoons of orange juice and the milk. Soak the chicken and orange-peel strips in the mixture for 30 minutes.
3. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken pieces with the flour mixture, then coat the orange-peel strips.
4. In a large skillet, heat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees. Fry the chicken on all sides until golden and fully cooked, 18-20 minutes, then drain on paper towels.
5. Serve chicken hot or cold, garnished with the fried orange-peel strips.