Annie Mae Jones' Old-Fashioned Fried Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

1. * - cut each into 8 pieces, backbone removed (save liver and gizzard for another use).
2. Wash each piece of chicken under cold running water.
3. Pat dry with paper toweling.
4. Place flour, salt, mustard, and pepper in a large paper bag.
5. Twist closed and shake to blend ingredients.
6. Drop the chicken pieces into the bag a few at a time and shake the bag vigorously until each piece is thoroughly coated.
7. Remove the chicken pieces from the bag and shake off excess flour - there will be plenty of it.
8. Then lay them side by side on waxed paper and place them near the stove so that you can get to them easily when you start frying.
9. Preheat oven to warm and in it place a large baking dish lined with paper toweling.
10. Heat the lard in a heavy 10-12" skillet.
11. The fat should fill the pan to a depth of about 2 inches.
12. Add more lard if necessary.
13. Place over moderate heat and when the fat is hot but not smoking, begin frying chicken.
14. Put in the thigh and legs first and cover the pan at once.
15. Let the chicken fry over moderate heat, lifting the cover occasionally to check the process, and when deep brown turn - with a wooden spoon, so you don't pierce the skin.
16. Cover and brown the other side.
17. As each piece is cooked, remove it, place it in the warm oven, and put an uncooked piece in its place.
18. Cook all of the chicken in the same way.
19. Just remember that the white meat will take a little less time to cook than the dark pieces.
20. Leave the chicken in the oven while preparing the gravy. *** CHICKEN GRAVY *** 1.
21. Pour the frying fat from the pan, replace it with the butter, melt, then stir in the flour.
22. When bubbly, stir in the stock and cream, and cook until sauce thickens.
23. Season with salt and pepper.
24. Serve the sauce separately to spoon over the chicken pieces at the table.