It’s impossible to tell you about Mama Kathy’s Fried Chicken without first sharing that this batter wasn’t created in just one kitchen. It’s the result of generations of memories, born in small kitchens where the sound of sizzling chicken and the smell of hot grease promised a meal worth gathering for.

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Growing up as one of seven kids, our dinner table was about so much more than eating. It was joyful chaos. Yes, there was lots of food, including delicious fried chicken, but there was also storytelling, bad jokes, laughter, gossip, everything required to turn a table into a true destination. I’ll never forget leaning back in my chair, stomach full, listening to my dad read poetry by Langston Hughes or Phyllis Wheatley. What I wouldn’t give to have him back, and those days back.

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Inspired by the moments around that table, and my grandmother’s table too, which, by the way, was just as magical, I set out to create those same kinds of memories in my home with family at  my own table. Honey, if you’re invited to my table, consider yourself family.

 

For years, I’ve been frying chicken, often at the request of folks who kindly invite themselves over to eat. My batter was always made with a pinch of this and a handful of that, never written down, just felt.

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So how do you turn memories like that into a batter anyone can use? I took my time, carefully measuring the spices I’d been cooking with instinctively for decades, until the balance was just right. The result is Mama Kathy’s Fried Chicken Batter, and don’t let the name fool you. You can use it for frying or baking just about anything. It’s delicious on fish, veggies, and whatever else you want to turn from mediocre into marvelous.

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Don’t take my word for it—get a bag and see for yourself. Your table can be a destination too.