Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy

1. 1If your steaks have not been tenderised, lay them between two sheets of cling film and beat them with a rolling pin to about 8 mm. Breaking down the connective tissue is what makes a cheap cut tender in four minutes of cooking.
2. 2Whisk the flour with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne in a shallow dish. In a second dish, beat the eggs with the buttermilk and hot sauce.
3. 3Dredge each steak in flour, then buttermilk, then back into the flour, pressing hard so the coating grips in craggy patches. That second pass through the flour is what makes the crust thick enough to hold gravy.
4. 4Rest the coated steaks on a rack for 10 minutes. The coating hydrates slightly and stops sliding off in the pan.
5. 5Heat 1 cm of oil in a heavy frying pan to 170°C. Fry two steaks at a time for 3–4 minutes a side, until deep golden brown. Do not crowd the pan or the temperature drops and the crust goes greasy.
6. 6Drain on a rack and keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.
7. 7Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of fat, keeping the browned bits in the pan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes over a medium heat — it should smell biscuity rather than raw.
8. 8Pour the warm milk in slowly, whisking constantly, and simmer for 4–5 minutes until it thickens to a pourable gravy. Season heavily with black pepper: cream gravy needs far more than seems reasonable. Pour over the steaks and serve at once.

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