I’ve never made fried chicken. Not much experience in home frying… What is your favourite method / style? The subject is vast and I’m a bit lost trying to choose my first recipe … In flour? In batter? Asian origins or southern fried chicken style ? Fry in a home fryer (I can borrow one) or in a Big Le Creuset pot?
I’m excited yet overwhelmed 
This might video interest you. Except for the resting and the Tony Chachere’s seasoning, what they concluded is best is pretty close to the way my mom cooked fried chicken. Over the course of my lifetime, I’ve generally stuck to the way my mom cooked it. Pan-fried for the win!
This may be of some help:
There may be an accepted difference between “fried chicken” and “chicken, fried”. But, if we cook chicken breasts in a frying pan, this is how we do it.
Firstly brown the meat on a high heat in olive oil. Then turn the heat down somewhat and throw in chopped garlic and chopped rosemary. A big splash of white wine vinegar goes in and reduces. Then a big splash of white wine. And continue cooking till the chicken is done by which time the liquids have reduced to become almost a glaze
It’s a Valentina Harris recipe from her 1990 book “Italian Regional Cookery”, so we’ve been having this for dinner for regularly for over 30 years.
I just go to KFC.
Neither. If I ever were to subject my house to the stench of fryer oil, it would be Bavarian/Austrian-style (no batter, just well seasoned skin), which also seems to be the least messy/effort.
Along those same lines… When Sunshine requests (bone-in) fried chicken, I pick up a box of Banquet Fried chicken. All I have to do is bake it in the oven and serve.
As far as boneless chicken, I like this Jaime Oliver recipe called garlic chicken. I bread it, fry one side, flip and finish it in the oven.
Thank you all ! To be more clear, I’m talking about bone in pieces of chicken deep fried.
Rural France isn’t the best place to pop out for a KFC or other @ipsedixit
I prefer pan-fired aka Southern Fried Chicken over deep fried.
ice water soak, pat dry, flour dredge, egg wash dip + seasoned flour…
Dipped in egg and flour, pan fried (my mother used Crisco), soaked in buttermilk first if you like.
Accept no substitutes. 
Looks like Tom and I agree. 
Interesting ! I hadn’t thought that would be an option (absorb more oil?)… What depth is that oil approx. before adding the chicken ? I’ve ordered buttermilk from the local farmer to motivate me 
methinks the one biggie ‘thang’ about southern fired chicken is . . . .
pan fired in oil about 1/2 as deep as the chicken pieces - flipped to cook both ‘sides’
and . . . it is not “fast food” - it takes the time to do it right.
the depth is not something one can specify - except by experience with your chicken and your pan. recent trends in mega 1 pound+ chicken breasts . . . are an issue. the frying bit requires more than 2-3 minutes - it’s at a lower temp to avoid turning the stuff burnt . . . so one can easily add a bit of oil to obtain a proper sizzle depth.
as a side note… I often do the thigh/leg/combined pieces first, then add oil and heat before doing the thicker pieces.
if the oil is not hotted up prior to putting in the chicken, one will get oil soaked/greasy chicken.
pretty simple - quite a well known issue.
the pre-soak/brine in ice water / milk / buttermilk is a long long long standing debate.
but, if you want a crust on the chicken, it absolutely must be dry before going into the egg wash and coating. otherwise the coating all falls off in the pan.
But kara age is not bone-in!
@ricepad Oops, I realize that now ! The technique could be used maybe with bone in though ?
Very helpful ! Thanks @HappyOnion
Here’s another video (with the same annoying presentation style), but there’s some information in there that you might find useful. The high points of the video are listed below.
Comparisons were:
Dredging with whole egg, egg whites, water, or buttermilk
Batch frying or crowded pan
Peanut oil, Crisco, or lard
All-purpose flour or AP flour cut with cornstarch, rice flour, or potato starch.
Their preferences were egg whites, crowded pan (didn’t seem to be a problem), peanut oil, and just AP flour.
I’ve used whole eggs but never just egg whites. I don’t bother with batch frying chicken. I don’t recall ever frying chicken in peanut oil, but they preferred it by a big enough margin to make me think I’ll give it a try. I alway just use AP flour.
I don’t have my recipe with me this week (4th of July week) but this is very similar to what I do (and I Usually trust serious eats)
I do a buttermilk brine at least overnight, I like the flavor of the buttermilk. then dredge in seasoned flour, let sit for an hour or so to let the breading hydrate and stick to the chicken, then fry. I usually use peanut oil (I think they call for veg shortening which I sometimes do - but most people I know who grew up with family who fried chicken use Crisco.
I do love fried chicken and you’re right it is not fast food. Takes 2 days essentially with the brine, etc.
Fried chicken of all kinds is our family’s favorite treat! I never made this growing up and it’s something I’ve learned, practiced over the years. I recently tried the SE recipe for air fried chicken and was so happy with the seasoning- very nicely salted and flavorful all the way to the bone. I used cornstarch instead of rice flour. I will definitely pan or deep fry this in the future. Over the many batches of chicken I’ve made, drying before the dry coat makes the biggest difference in a crisp coating.
Very helpful !!! I’ll be an expert soon 
I agree on the annoying video style ! But hey the content is good !
I am totally thinking of trying that recipe ! So far that’s the plan. Thanks
