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.Frying Chicken Like a Southerner

Source of Recipe

From "Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen" by Sara Foster


Recipe Introduction

"As food writer James Villas put it, 'To know about fried chicken, you have to have been weaned and reared in the South. Period.' But with these quick tips, you'll be making fried chicken like a true Southerner in no time."

List of Ingredients

• When frying the chicken, do your best to keep the oil at a consistent, even temperature; between 350° F and 375° F is best. (Too low, and the chicken will get soggy and leaden; too high, and the outside will burn before the meat is cooked through.)

• My grandmother used an electric skillet, which made perfect fried chicken every time, but there are other ways to get her results. First, use a cast iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet, if possible; it will get you halfway there by retaining heat efficiently and evenly.

• Make sure the pieces of chicken are roughly uniform in size (you may need to cut the breast in half crosswise) and take care not to overcrowd the skillet, which will drag down the temperature and make the chicken soggy. You can use a clip-on thermometer to monitor the oil temperature and adjust as necessary.

• Turn the chicken only once or twice; if you keep turning it the crust falls off and the chicken doesn't get crispy. Use a meat fork instead of tongs to turn the chicken; this will also help keep the crust from falling off.

• Drop a few tablespoons of bacon grease in with the shortening for added flavor.

• Drain the chicken on a brown paper bag; it will help keep the chicken crisp.


Recipe