Family Meal

Adapted from Linton Hopkins and Restaurant Eugene

Serves 4

Fried Chicken

• ½ cup plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• One 3 ½ pound chicken, cut into eight pieces—two drumsticks, two thighs and two breasts each cut in half
• 16 ounces lard
• 2 to 3 cups peanut oil, depending on the size of your pan
• 7 ounces smoked, thick-cut bacon
• 4 ounces butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ½ tablespoon freshly ground pepper

1. The night before you plan to eat the chicken, prepare the brine: In a large bowl, stir ½ cup of kosher salt into three quarts of cold water until it dissolves. Add the chicken and let it sit for 12 hours in the refrigerator.

2. When ready to fry, remove the chicken from the brine and pat it dry.

3. In a large cast iron pan or Dutch oven, bring the lard and oil to 200 degrees over medium heat. Add the bacon and butter. Cook the bacon for five to six minutes, or until it is golden brown. Remove the bacon to drain on paper towels.

4. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the oil to between 325 to 350 degrees.

5. While the oil is heating, mix the flour with the cornstarch and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and ground black pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in flour and shake off excess.

6. Add chicken carefully to hot oil and fry 11 to 14 minutes, or until light golden brown. Drain on a rack or on paper-towel lined sheet pan. Serve with Green Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette, Bacon and Horseradish Cream.

Green Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette, Bacon and Horseradish Cream

• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 6 tablespoons sour cream
• 4 large handfuls cleaned salad greens
• 4 radishes, sliced thin on a mandoline
• Crumbled Bacon, leftover from frying chicken
• Citrus Vinaigrette
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Small chunk farmhouse cheese, such as dry, extra-sharp cheddar, for grating

1. Mix the horseradish with the sour cream and season with salt and pepper.

2. Gently toss the salad greens, radishes and crumbled bacon with a few tablespoons of the Citrus Vinaigrette. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

3. Place a dollop of the horseradish cream on each plate and top with a handful of the dressed greens. Sprinkle with grated farmhouse cheese.

Citrus Vinaigrette

• Zest and juice from one orange
• Juice from one grapefruit
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Juice from two lemons
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons peanut oil
• Zest from one lemon
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley

1. Put the orange zest, orange and grapefruit juices and sugar in a small saucepan and reduce by two thirds over low heat.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the mustard and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

3. Slowly whisk the oil into the mustard and lemon in a steady stream. Whisk in the reduced orange juice mixture.

4. Just before serving, stir in the lemon zest and parsley.