djs0302
SOLID VEGETABLE SHORTENING IS DEATH! Has djs0302 never heard of trans fatty acids? djs is correct that "lard is best" but solid vegetable shortening should not even be legal. Go to Google and search "hydrogenated." The next best option is rendered chicken fat, and it can be argued that it has a better flavor for fried chicken than lard. Also, when buying lard, MAKE SURE that it doesn't contain hydrogenated lard. In my family, we generate a lot of bacon grease, which we also use to fry potatoes. Frying a couple of batches of potatoes will remove the smoky flavor from the bacon fat and leave you with plain lard. If you buy those 10# bags of leg quarters, there's quite a bit of fat that you can render, so what I usually use for fried chicken is a mix of lard and chicken schmaltz (sp?)
The one thing I'd do differently is to apply the salt, pepper and paprika (the paprika is optional) to the chicken pieces before flouring.
1/2" is not really enough. If you've got it, go for an inch, but at minimun 3/4".
Covering the pan will get you moister, but also fattier chicken. That's a purely aesthetic preference. When I do cover the pan, I remove the lid and finish each side w/o a lid to crisp up the chicken, turning once.
A short circuit in my onions 56581 -Takes one to know one. 1a - Dear Boy, can you 'splain me (in simple language that I'll understand) what proper farmer's cheese is like in texture? Is it the...
I applaud djs for recommending lard, but hope (s)he throws out his/her shortening. The only thing vegetable shortening is good for is...well, I won't say it, but it's not for ingesting :)
--Bryan
