Superb Chicken Recipes

SOUTHERN LIVING'S BEST FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine 1 tablespoon salt with 3 quarts water in a large bowl or container. Add chicken, cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse with cold water and pat dry.
• Stir together remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Sprinkle half the mixture evenly over chicken.
• In a large sealable plastic bag, combine remaining pepper mixture and flour. Add 2 pieces chicken to bag and shake well to coat. Remove chicken pieces, shaking off extra flour, and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Take a large (10- or 12-inch) cast-iron skillet or chicken fryer, for which you have a lid, and fit with a candy or deep-frying thermometer. Add oil and bacon drippings and heat to 360 degrees over medium heat; the oil will ripple and possibly give off a few wisps of smoke.
• Using tongs, immediately add chicken pieces, skin side down (work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding pan). The oil will drop to about 325 degrees, where it should stay; adjust heat so that oil is bubbling gently around the pieces. Cover and cook 6 minutes; uncover and cook 9 minutes. Turn chicken pieces; cover and cook 6 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5 to 9 minutes, depending on size of pieces. If necessary for even browning, turn pieces over a few times toward the end.
• Drain on paper towels or paper bags. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

SUPERB CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Render bacon in a large pan.
• Add onion and cook it down.
• While onion is cooking, beat eggs and some of the milk together to make an egg wash.
• Mix 1/2 of the Bouqet Garni with enough flour to bread all the chicken.
• Remove onions and bacon from pan, leave grease in pan to fry chicken.
• Flour chicken.
• Dip in egg wash.
• Flour again, coat well.
• Fry chicken in pan, add oil if needed.
• Brown very well on both sides.
• Put chicken into 350°F oven to finish cooking.
• Return onions and bacon to pan.
• Add soup, stock, the rest of the milk, the rest f the Bouquet Garni and garlic Stir vigorously until a gravy forms.
• Serve gravy as a side dish to chicken.