Chicken Maryland facts for kids
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Chicken Maryland with bacon, corn, banana, chick peas, cannelloni beans, fresh mint, wine and cream.
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| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Maryland |
| Main ingredients | Fried chicken, cream gravy |
Chicken Maryland is a famous dish from the state of Maryland in the United States. It's a special kind of fried chicken served with a creamy sauce called gravy. Often, it comes with bananas, which were once a big import for Baltimore, a city in Maryland. But watch out! The name "Chicken Maryland" can mean different things in other countries!
Contents
What is Chicken Maryland?
A Special Way to Cook Chicken
Many families in Maryland have their own secret recipes for Chicken Maryland. It's still a popular meal in restaurants, especially on the Eastern Shore.
What makes Maryland fried chicken different? Instead of cooking the chicken in a lot of oil, it's pan-fried in a heavy pan, often made of cast-iron. After browning, the pan is covered tightly. This makes the chicken steam and fry at the same time!
After the chicken is cooked, milk or cream is added to the pan juices. This creates a delicious white cream gravy, which is another key part of this Maryland dish.
Even famous chefs like Auguste Escoffier included a recipe for "Chicken à la Maryland" in his well-known cookbook, Ma Cuisine.
Chicken Maryland Around the World
The name "Chicken Maryland" is used in different ways in other countries.
Australia
In Australia, "Chicken Maryland" doesn't mean a cooked dish. It simply refers to a specific cut of chicken meat. It's the whole leg, which includes both the thigh and the drumstick. So, if you ask for Chicken Maryland at a butcher in Australia, you'll get a raw chicken leg!
United Kingdom
In some Chinese restaurants in the United Kingdom, especially in Scotland, you might find Chicken Maryland on the menu. It's usually listed under "English Dishes." This version is often a chicken breast that has been breaded and deep-fried. It's served with a slice of bacon, a fried banana or pineapple fritter (or both), and chips (which are French fries).
South America
In countries like Argentina, the dish is called Suprema de Pollo Maryland. This is a thin piece of chicken breast, pounded flat, breaded, and fried. It's usually served with creamy corn, peas, bacon, French fries, and a fried banana.
China
In China, Maryland Chicken is often served with mashed potatoes and a sweet corn gravy. This shows how the dish can change as it travels to different places.
Chicken Maryland in Pop Culture
This famous dish has even appeared in books and movies!
On the Titanic
The final first-class lunch menu on the RMS Titanic included a dish called "Chicken à la Maryland." Imagine eating that on such a famous ship!
In Books and Movies
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, Tender is the Night, one of the characters, Nicole Diver, looks for a recipe for Chicken Maryland while relaxing on the beach.
The film Christmas in Connecticut also mentions Chicken Maryland. In the movie, one of the characters who survived a sinking ship gets Chicken Maryland as one of his meals in the hospital.
