2 1/2 pound chicken (fryer) cut into pieces
2 eggs
1 cup milk, canned or whole
1/2 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce (to taste)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper corns (Tellicherry)
2 teaspoons Kosher or Sea salt
Lard, Crisco shortening, Peanut Oil or oil of your choice for frying (1 to 2 cups)
Wild Bill's Meat Rub (recipe below) (optional)

In a large cast iron skillet or skillet of your choice over medium heat,  add enough oil to fill the frying pan to where the oil is at least 1/4 inch deep (1 to 2 cups of oil in a 12 inch diameter skillet) and heat oil to 350 degrees F.  Deep Fryer or deep pot is an alternate method of frying.

In a medium sized shallow flat bottomed bowl, beat the eggs, milk and hot sauce together.  In another flat bottomed bowl or cake pan, sift  flour, Wild Bill's Meat Rub, salt and black pepper.  See Note below:

Season chicken pieces with a light sprinkling of Wild Bill's Meat Rub which is my standard House Seasoning.  If time permits, you can season the chicken pieces ahead of time and place in refrigerator for several hours (covered) or overnight which allows the dry rub to permeate into the chicken which intensifies the flavor.

NOTE:  Using the meat rub in the seasoned flour mixture will darken the chicken more than normal due to the sugar that is in the rub.   To reduce the darker color of the fried chicken, leave the rub out of the seasoned flour mixture.   The Wild Bill's Meat Rub does add a touch of Cajun cuisine to the chicken but is not over powering spice wise.

Dip seasoned chicken pieces into the egg mixture allowing excess to drain back into the bowl and then evenly coat in the flour mixture.  If you desire an extra crispy crust on the chicken, first coat the seasoned chicken pieces in the flour mixture and shake off excess; dip the chicken into the egg mixture allowing excess to drain back into the bowl and finish by coating again in the flour mixture and gently shake off the excess.  

Fry the chicken in the hot oil (skillet uncovered) until golden brown and crisp about 15 minutes;  turn and fry other side until golden brown and crisp about 10 minutes.  Dark meat takes takes about 13 to 15 minutes and white meats takes about 8 to 10 minutes to fully cook per side with the wings taking the least amount of time to fully cook.  Do not overcrowd your skillet and fry in batches to prevent the oil temperature to drastically drop which will render greasy chicken.  Internal temperature of cooked chicken should be at least 165 degrees F. and juices run clear.  If there is any doubt, use a digital meat thermometer to be safe.  Remove from pan and place on  a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to catch any drips and serve while hot with your favorite side dishes.  There is debate whether to place lid on skillet while frying which does reduce the oil splatter but the chicken will be done and crisp either way if the oil temperature is correct and cooked the appropriate amount of time.

YIELD: 4 servings 

Click on thumbnail sequence pixs below for a larger view:

NOTES:  My Mom and Grandma Coley fried many cut-up chickens over the decades in a large cast iron skillet and they seasoned only with salt and black pepper;  used the standard egg and milk wash and dipped in seasoned flour.  Very early on, most of those chickens came from our own yard raised chickens and about as fresh as you can get them, not to mention fresh eggs as well.  I still remember back as far as the first grade (1952) in school we had a large chicken coop where chickens were kept.  I  am certain early on Mom and Grandma Coley used regular hog lard exclusively of which has a unique flavor all its own and when hogs were no longer locally raised (circa early 1960s, not sure of the exact year,  switched over to the more modern shortening with the Crisco brand being a favorite if memory is correct.  The yard chickens aka yard birds back then were allowed to roam free about the yard eating anything still or moving along with chicken scratch feed and those chickens had a different flavor that the farm production raised chickens of today with all the additives added to their feed to promote a faster growth.  I remember that once the hogs were processed and the lard rendered, it was stored in a several gallon sized "Lard Tins" which was a tin plated metal container with a lid on it.  Those times are long gone and I certainly do miss my Mom and Grandma Coley.  My bride of 45 years has fried her share of chicken over the decades and we still have a large cast iron skillet but it doesn't get used that much anymore due to the maintenance for them.  Modern cast iron cookware made by Lodge can now be purchased already seasoned but at some point in time you have to re-season them to keep that natural non-sticking element going brought about by continued usage and proper care (cleaning) to allow the pores of the cast iron to stay closed and seasoned.  That is another short story in it's self.   My bride also has many stories of their family raising chickens and what transpired during their annual "Chicken Harvest".

WILD BILL'S MEAT RUB

INGREDIENTS: 

3/4 cup paprika                           1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 cup salt                                  1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder           2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper*     1 tablespoon garlic powder

Mix spices in a bowl and store in airtight container in a cool dark place. *I use 90K heat rating of cayenne pepper; most stores carry only 35K therefore  you might want to increase the cayenne pepper to 2 tablespoons (to taste).

NOTE: Rub or sprinkle on meat 30 minutes to an hour before grilling, etc.  Be sure to shake the container to redistribute spices before using, especially if rub has been sitting for a while.  I normally transfer a portion of the rub to a shake container for immediate usage.

Web posted by Bill aka Mickey Porter 07-12-12. 

LEAVING ON A SPIRITUAL NOTE