Southern Fried Chicken

Fried chicken was considered a special dish in Virginia, because until the nineteen-twenties frying chickens—like lamb—were available only in the late spring and early summer; hence the term “spring chicken.” They had a flavor rarely found today, perhaps because they were handfed with a feed of the farmer’s own mixture.

The first spring chickens were pan-broiled, as they were too delicate to fry. A broiler weighed about 1 pound and was split once down the back, bathed in butter, seasoned, and carefully pan-broiled. When chickens grew to 1½ or 2 pounds, they were fried, and became even more popular than broilers, first as a breakfast meat and then as a special treat to be served at outdoor picnics and ball games.

Chicken

• 2 chickens, 2½ pounds each (cut in serving pieces)

• 1 cup shortening, lard, or butter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour

• 3 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ¾ stick butter (if shortening or lard is used)

• Freshly cut parsley

1. Combine the two flours, add the salt and pepper, and mix well. Roll the pieces of chicken in the seasoned flour, and place them in a layer on a platter or pan. Let them rest for 2 hours before cooking to allow time for the flour to adhere thoroughly to the chicken. This will make for crisp, evenly browned pieces.

2. To fry the chicken, heat the fat in the pan until a drop of water sizzles when flicked in. Place the chicken pieces in the pan. If shortening or lard is being used for frying, drop three-fourths of a stick of butter cut into small pieces over the chicken.

3. If all butter is used for frying, first heat the skillet, then bring the butter to the foaming stage. When it just begins to subside, place the chicken in the pan.

4. Cover the pan and continue to cook at fairly high heat. After 10 minutes, turn the chicken over, replace the cover, and cook another 10 minutes. If you want a deeper color, turn the chicken over once again; the total cooking time, however, should not be more than 25 minutes.

5. Remove the chicken to a warm serving platter and garnish with cut parsley. Serve piping hot.

Gravy for Southern Fried Chicken

• 4 chicken backs

• ½ medium onion

• ½ piece celery

• 2 cups cold water

• 3 tablespoons flour

• Salt and pepper

1. If you like gravy with fried chicken, prepare a stock in advance with the chicken backs, onion, celery, and water. Simmer for 1 hour, strain, and set aside.

2. While the chicken is cooking, dip out 3 tablespoons of the fat from the chicken pan into an 8” skillet. Stir in flour and brown to a good color. Add enough of the chicken stock to make a gravy the thickness of heavy cream, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until ready to serve.

3. If the gravy thickens too much, thin with some of the remaining stock. The special advantage of this gravy is that it can be served the minute the chicken is ready.