The Eastern Seaboard and coastline of America is full of wonderful
food locations which need to be explored by every seafood lover out there.  However, one of these coastal regions, The
Eastern Shore of Maryland, encompassing a bit of Virginia, bordering Delaware on the East, with some Atlantic coast,
and the Chesapeake to its' West. Say Chesapeake and the flavors of a blue claw crab feast peppered with Old Bay
probably come to mind.  These "bay" seasonings, made famous by the old spice houses of Baltimore are the quint-
essential blends of salt, mustard, pepper, celery, paprika, red pepper, bay leaf, and other seasonings which vary from
each brand.  Old Bay, McCormack are two old favorites, the OldBay probably the most well known for seasoning steamed
crabs and crab cakes.  My first trip to Baltimore was just when the Inner Harbor opened and the old McCormack spice
factory was just a few blocks from the Hyatt.  I was at a traders' convention and I left the convention at some point following
the scent in the air and wound up at the old brick buildings which housed the McCormack Spice Co.  

     What does any of this mean in a blogpost about fried chicken?  In addition to crabs, oysters, and clams, the Eastern
Shore of Maryland is chock full of chicken farms.  Fried Chicken is a specialty of the region.  If you haven't been able to
tell by now, I am obsessed with regional food.  Food that is illustrative of a regions folkways, culture, terroir...you name
it,  makes it better. You can eat anything anywhere, but when you either eat is where it comes from, or, know the history of it when you
cook it in your home, kind of makes the dining and cooking experience a feast for all the senses.  On my spice rack was
a gift from my niece, a bottle of Chesapeake Bay Seasoning made by the  BLUE CRAB BAY CO. (http://www.bluecrabbay.com/products.asp?dept=1008  of Melfa, Virginia.  Melfa is a little town on the Eastern Shore
lying in the Virginia section.  Ok.  This is authentic.  It is spicy and warm, peppery and herbal.  But I wanted to use
it as a seasoning for a typical Eastern Shore chicken dish.  I had 25 air chilled chicken wings, the kind that are
natural and have no water added.  This makes a difference in the final product.  I find they cook more evenly as well.
So, in a large stainless steel bowl, mix 1/8 cup of flour with 2 tsps. of Chesapeake Bay Seasoning.  Add 1 tsp. of
granulated garlic.  Pat dry the wings with paper towels and discard the towels.  Coat the wings well with the seasoned
flour.  Let this sit for 10 minutes.   Get out your biggest black cast iron skillet.  You don't have one? ...Forget this dish
until you purchase one.  It just does not come out the right way using an aluminum, or a stainless steel, or a non-stick
skillet.  Fill it up with 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil, I used LouAna, a southern brand of soybean oil.  Excellent results.
http://www.louana.com/. 
This stuff rocks...btw.

Ok, heat the oil on medium high for 5 minutes.  Then place on medium.  On a baking sheet lay out three layers of
non-colored paper towels.  Mix up another 1/8 cup of flour with additional 1 tsp. of the seasoning, 1 tsp. of paprika.
Beat 2 eggs with 3 tsp. of milk in a bowl, then coat the wings with the egg mixture.  When well coated, coat with
the second batch of seasoned flour.  Test one wing in the pan.  It should sizzle but not splatter.  If there is a nice
sizzle going, add as many wings as will fit without crowding the pan.  Too many at once will make the chicken
steam and not fry.  Here's where frying chicken demands patience.  10 minutes to the first side, turn each wing,
10 minutes on the other.  Drain on the paper towels, and begin cooking the next batch, adding more oil inbetween
if necessary.  When you've taken the wings out and drained them, sprinkle with good sea salt. 



These are great for a party too as they reheat well without getting soggy.  It is imperative for this recipe
to work that you seek out natural no water added chicken wings.  Find wings with skin that is
more white than yellow.  These are usually labeled natural.  One of the reasons is that no extra
water is added which causes lots of steaming under the skin and it just never gets crisp.  Flabby,
fatty, overly yellow wet chicken just doesn't fry well.  I've found that the outside over browns and the
inside is a gamey fatty mess.  Let these wings sit for 10 minutes before serving.  And don't go the
dipping sauce route...Chili's, T.G.I.Fridays, Appleby's, all have good intentions, but everything
fried does not need a dipping sauce.  Serve them with a salad to ease your conscience, but no
bleu cheese ranch chipotle ancho sauce with them.  Taste the goodness of the chicken and enjoy
the subtle spice the seasonings of the Eastern Shore impart to the wings.