Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

There's just something about this time of year that has me craving good old stodgy food - I guess it's the dark , cold, rainy days that makes salads and the like rather unappealing. Well, to me anyway!
So, seeing as though it has been very cold of late, I felt in the need of something more substantial and fried chicken it had to be! So here's my recipe for some delicious fried chicken, which I prefer to serve with mashed potatoes and parsnips, and broccoli and carrots. See, it's not so unhealthy after all. That's four varieties of veg in one meal!
As with most of my recipes, the amounts are only guidelines (and a bit of guess work!) as I tend to cook on instinct. So add more or less of things to suite your own circumstances/palate/on hand ingredients etc...

Ingredients:

For the fried chicken
8 pieces of chicken
1-2 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1tbsp paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 egg lightly beaten

For the mashed potatoes and parsnips
4 large potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
milk
salt and pepper to taste

For the gravy
1 tbsp flour
1 small onion sliced
pinch of oregano

Method:
1. wash the chicken and pat dry
2. mix the flour with the other seasonings, then dipthe chicken, first into the egg, then roll in the seasoned flour.
3. heat a good layer of oil (about 1 inch deep) in a large pan (don't worry, if the temperature is correct, the chicken won't soak up very much of it)
4. fry the chicken in the oil until golden on all sides, then transfer to a baking dish and finish off in the oven. It is cooked when the juices run clear and no pink remains. reserve 2 tbsp of the oil for the gravy.
5. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and parsnips in lightly salted water until very soft, then mash with some milk and a knob of butter. season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. To make the gravy, saute some onions gently until they start to brown. In a separate pan heat the reserved oil, stir in the flour and mix until smooth. Cook for a couple of minutes to 'cook' the flour then add some boiling water. Add the onions and season with the oregano, salt and pepper.

Serve the chicken and potatoes with steamed carrots and broccoli - or any other vegetable of
your choice, and lashing of gravy.