Southern Fried Chicken

Preparation Cut chicken in eight pieces. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside. Mix eggs, milk, and water. Pour mixture over chicken. Let sit for 5 minutes. In a heavy paper bag, mix flour, paprika, ground thyme, and granulated garlic. Place chicken in bag with flour mixture. Shake until chicken is well coated. Heat oil in a Magnalite fryer — oil should reach 350°F. Place chicken in hot oil. Fry, turning as chicken browns. Heavy parts such as breast, thighs, and legs will take 15 to 20 minutes, wings about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain chicken on paper towels. Leah Chase shares her tips with Epicurious:· Pet is a brand of evaporated milk commonly found in southern Louisiana. If you can't find Pet, any brand of evaporated milk will do — "it works better and it just tastes better," Chase says. If you do not have or cannot find evaporated milk, substitute half and half. Regular milk, Chase says, is too light and thin, and it will not yield the same perfect crust. · Chase's secret to perfect fried chicken is to make sure it is "perfectly dry before it hits the fryer. If there are any wet spots," she says, "your crust won't stick." After dipping the chicken in the egg wash and dusting it in flour (making sure to knock off any clumps or excess), let the chicken sit for about 10 minutes before putting it in the oil to fry. · Magnalite is a brand of heavy cast-steel cookware. Any other such brand of cast iron or steel cookware can be used instead.

Preparation Cut chicken in eight pieces. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside. Mix eggs, milk, and water. Pour mixture over chicken. Let sit for 5 minutes. In a heavy paper bag, mix flour, paprika, ground thyme, and granulated garlic. Place chicken in bag with flour mixture. Shake until chicken is well coated. Heat oil in a Magnalite fryer — oil should reach 350°F. Place chicken in hot oil. Fry, turning as chicken browns. Heavy parts such as breast, thighs, and legs will take 15 to 20 minutes, wings about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain chicken on paper towels. Leah Chase shares her tips with Epicurious:· Pet is a brand of evaporated milk commonly found in southern Louisiana. If you can't find Pet, any brand of evaporated milk will do — "it works better and it just tastes better," Chase says. If you do not have or cannot find evaporated milk, substitute half and half. Regular milk, Chase says, is too light and thin, and it will not yield the same perfect crust. · Chase's secret to perfect fried chicken is to make sure it is "perfectly dry before it hits the fryer. If there are any wet spots," she says, "your crust won't stick." After dipping the chicken in the egg wash and dusting it in flour (making sure to knock off any clumps or excess), let the chicken sit for about 10 minutes before putting it in the oil to fry. · Magnalite is a brand of heavy cast-steel cookware. Any other such brand of cast iron or steel cookware can be used instead.