Every year, once Halloween is over, I am in full holiday mode, ready for my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. But, this year, it does not feel like we are moving seamlessly into holiday-mode, no matter who decrees it.

Of course, we have to all get through today first, right? (Please vote!)

But then next week, and after that, and after that, what are your holiday plans? We all still have to deal with the idea that holidays are going to be a little smaller this year, probably without extended family and for a lot of people, probably only for 2 or 3 eaters. For a holiday like Thanksgiving, especially, how do you plan for that? Most traditional menus call for a table laden with heavy dishes, all ready to serve 8-10.

So, I thought this year, I’d share some ideas for what I’m calling Small Thanksgiving. Recipes that are meant for only 2-4 people, and with some non-traditional twists on the classic menu, because I needed to have a little fun and I’m not really in the mood to pretend anything about this year will be traditional. I think 2020 is the perfect time to go rogue!

First up, the bird! It’s really hard to buy and cook just a small amount of turkey in November, so I nixed that idea entirely. I know friends who are planning to make ham or beef, and I think my own small celebration with friends is going to feature prime rib. But here, I stayed in the avian family and went for fried chicken. It is actually brilliant! The recipe scales well, up or down, so you can make exactly the number of pieces you want for the meal, plus leftovers (or not). This particular recipe calls for boneless dark meat, so it cooks quickly, and it can even be made in advance and reheated for serving. It’s basically the most chill Thanksgiving entree option, which you might not expect from a recipe asking you to deep fry (and don’t worry, I know it’s a lot to heat up a pot of oil, so this won’t be the last recipe making use of the fryer).

This is probably the easiest fried chicken I’ve ever made! I don’t think I’ll ever fry whole, bone-in pieces again after trying this, because it cooks much faster when boneless, and it is much, much easier to eat this way. The recipe also makes a genius swap of yogurt for buttermilk, which is just less messy to deal with, but also creates the crunchiest coating ever. You can tell I was enamored of the crunch from the photos! I mean, just look at that piece below. Swoon! And as a final, holiday worthy touch, go ahead and fry some of the sage to garnish your chicken with. It looks impressive, smells heavenly, and most importantly for a Thanksgiving table, cuts through the sea of beige.

About that beige, a.k.a. the gravy. I have gone for a rich, buttery version flavored with sage and plenty of tangy, salty capers to pair perfectly with the fried chicken. The recipe makes enough to smother the chicken if you want, but I think it’s better for spooning and/or dipping for two reasons: smothering your chicken in gravy is going to sog up those hard-earned crags and crunchy bits, and you want to save some for the side dishes! Of course there is going to be mashed potatoes, and they are going to need some of that gravy.

Fried Chicken with Sage Caper Gravy

Makes 2-4 servings.

For the gravy:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tbs chopped fresh sage
2 tbs capers
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

For the chicken (adapted from Cal Peternell):

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp salt plus more for the dredge mixture
2 tbs plain yogurt
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
oil, for frying
flaky salt, for finishing (optional)
sage leaves, for garnish (optional)

Make the gravy: Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat, and add the flour when the butter is foamy. Stir, cooking the flour for 1-2 minutes, then, when the flour starts to color a bit, add the sage and capers, and cook another 1-2 minutes.
Slowly whisk in the stock, a little at a time, then bring mixture to a simmer. Add the soy sauce and cook until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the vinegar and fresh ground pepper to taste, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed. At this point, you can keep the gravy warm on the stove, or make in advance to this point, and reheat when ready to make the chicken. I would reserve a bit of chicken broth to use to thin the gravy when reheating, if you need to.
Make the chicken: Heat a heavy pot with a good 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees. While oil is heating, season the chicken with the salt and a few grinds of pepper, then let sit for 15 minutes to come to room temperature. Coat chicken with the yogurt and set aside. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, sage, some black pepper and a good pinch of salt.
When the oil is ready, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, and gently lower into the hot oil. Fry chicken in batches to avoid crowding the pot. Cook for 12 minutes, flipping a few times to ensure even color, then transfer to a baking sheet set with a wire rack. Season immediately with a little flaky sea salt, if desired. Keep chicken warm in a low oven while you fry the remaining pieces. Serve hot, with the gravy. Just before serving, fry a few pieces of well-dried sage for about 30 seconds, drain, season with a little salt, and garnish (optional).

Notes:

Once you use it to fry chicken, oil cannot be reused, so if you are frying multiple things when making fried chicken, make sure you fry the chicken last.