Life is short, let Food Giant or Mudcat fry the chicken

There are some foods that I never want to cook at home because of the bother: pork rinds, a real steamed Christmas pudding, anything fried, especially chicken. Juicy, crispy, delicious fried chicken definitely tops that list. So the last couple of weeks, I started asking people where they like to get their fried chicken. Much to my (probably naive) surprise, many people told me Food Giant.

An old-school grocery store at 1120 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, Food Giant has been there for as long as I can remember. I can count on one hand the number of times I've been there and never for fried chicken. I live in a rural area north of Cape, so some of you may visit Food Giant more than I, but it's just never been my go-to place. Well, that may be changing.

After I walked in the front door, immediately to the left was the deli, with a huge sign above it touting its "Famous Fried Chicken." Evidently, I was so out of the loop. So I approached the deli counter, and it was a vast, empty wasteland. Bin after bin of sad void, filled with tantalizing breading crumbs, teasing hints of what had been there, what I had missed. It was 5 p.m. on a Monday afternoon, and I knew the deli closed at 6 p.m. A deli worker asked me politely, "Can I help you?" And I, with a helpless glance at the obviously empty counter in front of me, looked him in the eyes and said, "I was hoping to get some chicken?" For a heartbeat, he just looked at me as we both acknowledged the ridiculousness of the request, then he smiled and said he just put three thighs in the cart behind Register 1.

I thanked him and took off like a shot, just knowing that someone else had already grabbed this elusive chicken. But there it sat, glowing golden brown under its cellophane wrapper. Success! I grabbed all three, went back to the deli to grab some deviled egg salad and baked potato salad, checked out and went home triumphantly.

Food Giant fried chicken is, indeed, good. I only got to try a thigh, but it was flavorful, and just what fried chicken needs to be: crunchy on the outside with just the right amount of breading, juicy on the inside, meaty and delicious. It wasn't overcooked, or dry, the breading didn't slough off messily. It had that homemade taste, and at the cost of $1.49 a thigh, was extremely affordable. Next time, I'll get there earlier.

Mudcat fried chicken, available on Thursday and power-packed with flavor, along with honey corn and green beans.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

Mudcat fried chicken, available on Thursday and power-packed with flavor, along with honey corn and green beans.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

It's hard to do fried chicken in an original way, though. I mean, you dip it in flour, then a wet ingredient, then the breading and fry it, or something very similar to that. But at the Mudcat at 4056 State Highway E in Oak Ridge, owner Rebecca Moore has figured out a way to make fried chicken a little extra. The process starts more than a day ahead of time, as she brines the chicken for at least 24 hours. After brining to infuse a ton of flavor, next she smokes the chicken, cooking it completely and adding a nice smoky depth of flavor to the mild meat. Finally, when you order your chicken, she breads it and deep fries it, meaning that you get it hot and ready in a fraction of the time fried chicken normally takes.

Now, I know what you're thinking — Mudcat is frying chicken that's already completely cooked. You would think that would dry it out or change the texture, but you'd be completely wrong. The brine gives the chicken a salty mildness throughout the meat, all the way down to the bone. The smoke serves to cook it thoroughly and makes the chicken so incredibly tender that my larger piece fell right off of the bone. And the breading gave the chicken that satisfying crunch on the outside, filling that fried chicken hole in our soul. Forget 11 herbs and spices, this preparation is unusual, flavorful, juicy (even the white meat) and worth a try. You can get it on Thursday only, at $13 for all-you-can-eat chicken and two sides. Try the honey corn, it's delicious.

Fried chicken feels like home, but it is too hard to cook it there. Let someone else do it for you and enjoy your life.