Recipe: Lacey's Special with Little Tea Shop Corn Sticks (chicken in gravy)

LACEY'S SPECIAL

2 chicken breasts, each about 14 oz., halved
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 cup water
2 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp bottled gravy coloring (like Kitchen Bouquet)
little tea shop corn sticks (recipe follows)

Combine chicken with celery, onion, paprika, salt, pepper and water in a large frying pan. Heat to boiling. Cover. Simmer 40 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove from broth. Strain broth into a 2-cup measure.

Melt butter or margarine in a small saucepan. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Stir in 1 cup of broth. Continue cooking and stirring until gravy thickens and boils 1 minute. Stir in gravy coloring. Keep hot.

Remove skin and bones from chicken breasts. Slice meat.

Place two corn sticks on each serving plate. Top with sliced chicken, then two more corn sticks, sandwich style. Spoon gravy over all.

LITTLE TEA SHOP CORN STICKS

1/2 cup melted shortening, divided use
1 1/2 cup white corn meal
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease corn stick pans with 1/4 cup melted shortening, then heat pans in oven while mixing batter.

Mix corn meal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Stir in eggs and buttermilk just until mixture is evenly moist. Stir in 1/4 cup of the melted shortening. Spoon batter into pans.

Bake in 400-degree F oven 10 minutes or until crusty and lightly golden. Remove from pans. Serve hot.

Makes 2 dozen
From: Reva Ziskind of Germantown
Source: Savory Favorites from Savannah