Southern Pan-Fried Chicken

by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock
from The Gift of Southern Cooking
(Alfred A. Knopf, 2003)
Serves 4

We have blended our best chicken-frying tips from Virginia and Alabama in this recipe: it requires a bit of extra effort, but the results are absolutely outstanding. The chicken gets two long soaks, Alabama-style, first in brine and then in buttermilk. The frying fat is a special mix — Virginia-style — of lard and sweet butter, flavored with a slice of country ham, which makes the chicken extra crispy and rich-tasting. The cornstarch in the dredge adds to the crispness too. Carefully cooked, fried chicken will absorb a minimal amount of fat. Be sure to pat off all excess dredge; fry evenly at the proper temperature; and drain the chicken well on crumpled-up — not flat — paper towels or a wire rack.—Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock

convert Ingredients
One 3-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, brined* for 8 to 12 hours
1 quart buttermilk
1 pound lard
Al stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup country-ham pieces, or 1 thick slice country ham cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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Method
1. To prepare the chicken for frying: Drain the brined chicken and rinse out the bowl it was brined in. Return the chicken to the bowl, and pour the buttermilk over. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. Drain the chicken on a wire rack, discarding the buttermilk.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the fat for frying by putting the lard, butter, and country ham into a heavy skillet or frying pan. Cook over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, skimming as needed, until the butter ceases to throw off foam and the country ham is browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the ham carefully from the fat. (The ham pieces can be saved and used to make Smoked Pork Stock) Just before frying, increase the temperature to medium-high and heat the fat to 335°F (170°C).

3. Prepare the dredge by blending together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or on wax paper. Dredge the drained chicken pieces thoroughly in the flour mixture, then pat well to remove all excess flour.

4. Slip some of the chicken pieces, skin side down, into the heated fat. (Do not overcrowd the pan, and fry in batches if necessary.) Cook for 8 to 10 minutes on each side, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Drain thoroughly on a wire rack or on crumpled paper towels, and serve.

Fried chicken is delicious eaten hot, warm, at room temperature, or cold. *Brining, that is, soaking it in a saltwater solution before cooking, serves a twofold purpose: it helps the flesh retain moisture and seasons it all the way through. To make the brine, stir kosher salt into cold water until dissolved, in the proportion of 1/4 cup salt to 1 quart of water. (Don’t use table salt in this formula, by the way; it will be too salty). Mix enough brine to cover the poultry or meat completely in a (non-reactive) bowl or pot. Store refrigerated 8 to 12 hours for poultry.

Recipe © 2003 Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.