This flavorful chicken recipe is a favorite dish of Puerto Rican food columnist Illyanna Maisonet, and is modeled after a dish her mother used to make. The recipe appears in Maisonet's upcoming cookbook, Diasporican. "My mom is not a fan of cooking. She considers it a chore. Which is why when she made Mushroom Chicken, it was always a treat," Maisonet shares. It includes my three favorite things: fried chicken, gravy, and white rice. Who doesn't love those things?! Although the recipe is not Puerto Rican, it has a special place in the book because it has a special place in my heart. Also, I can't ever get it to taste like hers to save my life."

Reprinted with permission from Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook by Illyanna Maisonet copyright ©2022. Puerto Rico location photographs by Erika P. Rodriguez. California location and food photographs copyright © 2022 by Dan Liberti. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon

1 10.5-ounce can cream of mushroom soup

Soy sauce (preferably Kikkoman), for seasoning

White rice, for serving (optional)

Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they've released and reabsorbed their moisture. Set aside.

Season the chicken wings with salt and pepper. Place 1 cup of flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken in the flour.

Line a plate with paper towels and set near the stove. Fill a 12-inch cast-iron skillet a little less than halfway with canola oil and place over medium-high heat. You want enough oil to cover the chicken. Heat the oil until it registers 350°F on an instant-read thermometer. (Sprinkle in a little flour; if the oil sizzles, it's ready for frying.)

Add the chicken to the oil in two batches and fry for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it is like fried chicken. (It doesn't matter if it's cooked all the way through, it'll finish cooking in the mushroom sauce.) Using tongs, transfer the chicken to the prepared plate. Pour out most of the oil in the pan, leaving a tablespoon or so.

Turn the heat to low and add the 1 tablespoon flour, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and mushroom soup to the pan. Whisk vigorously for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk. If the mixture is too thick, (it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan), add a bit of water. If it's too loose (not clinging to the spoon), turn the heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened. It should look like an old-fashioned country gravy. Add a few shakes of soy sauce, then, while the mixture is simmering and when you see little bubbles, add the mushrooms and chicken, submerging as much of them as you can. Turn the heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally and making sure the gravy doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, for 15 minutes.

Serve the mushroom chicken over rice.