Maryland Fried Chicken is a chain in name only, with each location more or less operating as they please. Aside from the seasoning and breading mixture, they make all of the menu items, from fried squash to slaw and smoked chicken, from scratch.
One of the three brothers who founded Maryland Fried Chicken, Altamonte Springs native Angelo R. Constantine, passed away back in 2002 as a result of complications from cancer. He was 78.
The family started a different business called Constantine’s Restaurant at 2740 S. Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando in 1959. To assist in running the company, Angelo Constantine relocated to the area in 1960.
The diner quickly gained popularity as a place to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Martin Marietta, now known as Lockheed Martin, opened in Orlando around two years later. And the family’s chicken dish was well-liked by the staff, many of whom were from Maryland. The Orlando restaurant’s name was quickly changed to Maryland Fried Chicken.
The business would develop into one of the nation’s most prominent fried chicken eateries.
“It wasn’t as fatty as the others because it was cooked directly in peanut oil. It may be consumed cold, “Linda Constantine, his wife, added. They had been wed for 33 years.
Although they continued to own Maryland’s Fried Chicken on East Colonial Drive and one in Leesburg, the family sold the company in the early 1970s.
Can you identify the mystery ingredient that gives this dish of crispy fried chicken its Maryland-style flavor?
Okay, we’ll provide the recipe for this chicken dish: saltine crackers that have been smashed!
Delicious Recipe You Can Do Now! – Maryland Fried Chicken
Maryland Fried Chicken tasty, affordable
Equipment
- 1 Skillet
- 1 screw-top jar
- 1 serving platter
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 1 shallow bowl
Ingredients
- 1 piece beaten egg
- 3 tbsp Milk
- 1 cup finely crushed saltine crackers (28 crackers)
- 1 tsp dried thyme, crushed
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 2 1/2 pound meaty chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 cup milk
- Hot mashed potatoes (optional)
Cream Gravy
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Combine the egg and the 3 tablespoons milk in a small mixing bowl. Crushed crackers, dried thyme, paprika, and pepper should be mixed in a small basin. Place aside.
- Skin chicken, if desired. Dip chicken pieces, 1 at a time, in egg mixture, then roll in cracker mixture.
- Heat oil in a big skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid off, stirring regularly to ensure even browning. Drain good.
- 1 cup milk should be added to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low and securely cover. 35 minutes in the oven Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and no longer pink. Cover and keep the chicken warm on a serving plate. Make the Cream Gravy. Serve over mashed potatoes and fresh thyme, if desired. This recipe serves 6 people.
Cream Gravy
- Skim fat from drippings in skillet. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the drippings in skillet. In a screw-top jar combine milk, all-purpose flour, salt, and pepper; cover and shake until well mixed. Add to skillet. Stir in 1 cup additional milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. (If desired, thin with additional milk.) Makes about 1 1/2 cups gravy.
