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Liz Haupert's Fried Chicken

Source of Recipe

From "Cooking for Comfort" by Marian Burros


Recipe Introduction

"I learned to fry chicken from Liz, my best friend in college. She was born and raised in Arkansas, and still lives there. Liz didn't soak her chicken and she never insisted on a cast-iron skillet, but she did say that bacon grease was essential. In the days when I thought bacon grease was something to treasure and save in a coffee can, I fried some pretty good chicken for a New England native. Oil has replaced bacon fat in this recipe, but otherwise nothing has changed. Now I buy parts instead of a whole chicken. I prefer the legs and thighs because they are juicier. The chicken still passes the test of Southern friends."

List of Ingredients

◦ 3 to 3 � pounds chicken breasts and thighs, cut in equal-size pieces
◦ 1 to 1 � cups flour
◦ Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
◦ Corn oil for frying (about 1 quart)


Recipe

Wash the chicken pieces and drain but do not dry.

Place the flour, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag and shake to mix. Add a few pieces of chicken at a time and shake to coat pieces thoroughly all over with flour. Place the coated pieces on wax paper and repeat until all the chicken is floured. Add more flour if necessary.

Heat enough oil in a deep, heavy skillet to cover the chicken pieces almost entirely, until the oil begins to ripple. The skillet should be large enough to accommodate all the chicken pieces in a single layer.

Place the chicken pieces in the hot oil skin side down and cook over high heat 10 minutes or until golden. Turn and cook 10 minutes more or until the other side is golden. The chicken should be done at this point. Cut into the thick part of a breast piece to check for doneness. If the chicken is not cooked, reduce the heat, turn the chicken, and cook a few minutes longer.

Remove the pieces to several layers of paper towels, drain quickly, and then place on a rack. The chicken should be served warm, not hot.

Makes 4 servings



❧ If some chicken pieces are browning more quickly than others, turn the pan around; if it is all browning too quickly, turn the heat down. The chicken can be held for two hours at room temperature, loosely covered with foil.