On 29 Aug 2006 14:26:41 +0200, Wayne Boatwright
<wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote:

>> My hubby uses lard and follows the method that you use, -L. It takes
>> quite a while per piece, actually, but it's never dark. He heats up the
>> lard until it melts and you can see it "wave" on the surface and then
>> drops the chicken in. It bubbles and sizzles, but if you keep turning
>> each piece as it browns, it doesn't burn. Oh, and he carefully uses
>> tongs to turn the pieces. In all honesty, I prefer his fried chicken to
>> KFC (blech!) or any supermarket deli kind. It's not greasy, it's
>> crispy, and it's good.
>>
>> kili
>
>I've used lard, too, kili. Crisco produces very similar results, although
>not quite the same flavor. Both work much better than oil. It never burns
>as oil often seems to do.

One of the things I learned to do if good lard is not available, is to
use Crisco, but add some bacon fat. Gives a wonderful flavor.

And I grew up in the tradition of shallow frying chicken...where the
heat is high at first, to brown the chicken, then the pan is covered
slightly and the heat turned down to finish the cooking.

I am still working on the best method, as I had lost the knack of
frying really good chicken after my mother died. She taught me to
fry...but when the eGullet thread on frying chicken started, I got
interested in really developing it again. I learned that for me, a
cross between shallow frying and deep frying works best...
And that salting and peppering the chicken beforehand also adds
something: I salt and pepper a bit before I dredge the chicken...And I
find, at least for my taste, that it takes more salt than I thought I
would need.

Here is the eGullet thread again. I heartily urge you to read it,
notbob, as you can learn a lot from it about making good fried
chicken.
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=63594

Christine