Oven Fried Chicken

Mrs. David Schrock shared this oven fried chicken recipe with us, and she said it has been her answer for years to the question every cook faces on a busy day, which is how to put a good hot supper on the table without standing over a skillet the whole while. There is no splattering grease and no turning each piece by hand. The chicken goes into the pan, the butter goes over the top, and the oven does the rest while she gets the potatoes on and the table set. The cornmeal is what makes it. It crisps up golden in the oven the way a good crust should, and the chili powder gives just enough warmth to make people ask what is in it. She says she has made it for company suppers and for ordinary Tuesday evenings alike, and it comes out the same either way. Around here it is a favorite for the crowd that gathers after a work day, since a pan or two can be slid into the oven and left alone while everyone finishes up outside.

Recipe by Scott