We hope you had a great Labor Day!

Did you enjoy some Maryland Fried Chicken at your picnic?

Maryland Fried Chicken has a murky history with no clear origin story. Most give Albert Constantine, a Florida-based restaurateur of Wilmington, Delaware, credit in the 1960s. But its roots are in those of African American Southern cooking. Many of the recipes in our collection of Maryland cookbooks list both Southern Fried Chicken and Maryland Fried Chicken. The dish was often in Eleanor Purcell’s food column in the Baltimore Sun during the 1930s as a perfect Sunday dinner or one of the best things to eat.

 

 

 

So, what makes it Maryland and not Southern?Surprisingly, it’s not Old Bay Seasoning, though most Marylanders add it to the seasoning. It’s a combination of frying and steaming. Many recipes have you cover the chicken after it’s been added to the hot oil. This is the lore surrounding Maryland Fried Chicken, but almost every recipe is its own. Whether covered or just fried, seasonings, serving with fried parsley, or adding a little bacon to the oil, like most fried chicken recipes, it comes down to the household. And, as with most recipes like that, Mom, Dad, Grandma, or Grandpa’s fried chicken is always the best.

Coleslaw? Maryland Fried Chicken is often served with fried corn fritters and a creamy gravy made in the pan.