It is National Fried Chicken Day, and I want to reprise some stories I’ve told before as I pay homage to my favorite food. I am completely addicted to fried chicken, as my fellow guild members can attest to (when I am not eating sushi). The combination of delicate crunchy breading and tender juicy chicken is happiness on a plate. Fried chicken was the comfort food of choice for my childhood years, and the very best was made in my grandmother’s kitchen in her cast iron skillet.
My grandmother lived on a very small farm, about two acres, where she raised chickens and had an extensive vegetable garden. She canned fruit and vegetables, and made pickles, jellies, and chutneys. As a kid, I learned to appreciate the difference that a really fresh egg can make to breakfast. This was the era of putting bacon grease in the vegetables, and potatoes were served at almost every meal, often with corn. Her fried chicken started off with catching one, wringing its neck, plucking the feathers, then cleaning it before cutting it into pieces.
My grandfather was a fried chicken freak as well. He once made a bet with my grandmother that he could eat fried chicken three times a day every day. So she took that bet, killed a chicken every day, plucked and cleaned it, and fried pieces three times a day for three months. He happily ate every piece. Yes, he even ate it for breakfast!! At the end of three months of this, she gave up and told him he won. It was years before she would fry chicken again. She loved telling that story.
For her method, she soaked the chicken pieces in buttermilk for at least an hour in the refrigerator, and sometimes overnight. Then, she would pat the pieces dry, dip them in egg, plunge them into a paper bag with her seasoned flour and shake it. She only used salt and pepper in the flour. She just let the pieces sit in the flour inside the paper bag for about five minutes. Then she would give the bag a shake and let it sit a while longer. Depending on her mood, she might shake that bag several times. Heating up her cast iron skillet, she melted shortening to a depth of halfway up the side of the skillet. Then when the melted shortening was hot, she would take the chicken and gently lay it in the hot oil, frying for about 12-15 minutes per side on a medium high heat. She would cover the pan with the heavy cast iron lid. When the chicken pieces were golden brown and cooked through, she drained them on paper towels. Heavenly!!
Many years ago, I would drive two hours to a mom-and-pop place, just to eat the best fried chicken on the planet. It was in an old house where every room was crammed with tables and chairs and there were chickens everywhere. Chicken shaped salt-and-pepper shakers, chicken pie plates and dinner plates, chicken planters and candlesticks, chicken trivets and cookie cutters and anything else you can name were displayed on shelves or hung on the wall in every single room, covering every inch of space with little of the wall showing. The aroma of fried chicken was so wonderful, and it permeated your clothing while you ate. The recipe used there has never been duplicated. All I know is that it was batter-fried and the batter contained honey. They would dip the pieces in the batter and toss them into a gigantic frying machine that was mechanized. The chicken would be turned and moved along a long river of oil with metal grates, then lifted onto racks for draining before sliding down a chute into the bin where it would be pulled for serving. Not only would I have a meal there, I would bring home a 24-piece box for the next few days. No, I wouldn’t eat it all myself, but I could have! It went out of business in 1995, and I wore black for a week in mourning. They supposedly sold the recipe to someone that opened up another restaurant, but it wasn’t the same.
Some years ago, some brilliant person came up with this idea for a great breakfast, chicken and waffles! I like mine without syrup, just some butter on the waffle.
I’ve tried for a long time to get the same crunch on chicken wings by baking them rather than frying them. This recipe for Parmesan wings is close, but still not the same.
I tried them with Panko bread crumbs, and these are closer to the ideal but still not perfect.
The only thing to do now is to get the chicken from Publix, arguably the best fried chicken available in my area. I really like the boxes of wings. It is the only place I have found locally that can really do a great fried chicken. In my opinion, pieces must be huge, crust thick and golden crunchy, delicately seasoned, with tender, juicy meat.
I inherited my grandmother’s well-seasoned cast iron skillet although my chicken will never be as good as hers. Some years later I found out her secret quite by accident. I no longer fry chicken at home, but if you do, use self-rising flour. I accidentally used it once and was amazed that batch was closer to hers than ever before. It wasn’t until I was cleaning the kitchen and picked up the flour bag that I realized why.
Fried chicken is the perfect picnic food, so once we’ve had our cookout of burgers, hot dogs and brats, we can have some chicken today.
Bon Appetit!! Are you a fan of fried chicken? Do you have a comfort food from your grandmother?
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From My Carolina Home 
For some reason, I’m feeling very hungry!!! I can just imagine the place you described, Carole, with chicken accessories everywhere! Your grandma was a real trooper, making and serving chicken 3X a day for 3 months! Bless her memory!
Fried chicken is for sure a delight but my BigMamas comfort food for my visits was fried Okra… and cooked okra and tomatoes with onions over rice..good ole days gone by.
My beloved Mother made the best fried chicken that I have ever eaten. We have a local grocery store that makes a great second to my Mother’s. I enjoyed reading about your grandmother!
My mother never made fried chicken…but she made a fabulous chicken cutlet! I love that you still have her well seasoned and loved pan. I am glad you found one that you love….and I do love a good piece of fried chicken but haven’t even though of getting it in years…now I am.
I had grown up and left home before I ever tried Fried Chicken. Chicken was a Christmas dish and roasted. My Mum would eye up the one not laying and that was destined for the oven!
I admit to loving Fried Chicken but don’t deep fry it at home. Don’t like the resultant mess so mostly it goes in the oven. Eaten with the fingers alongside a bowl of salad and something Potato! Love your story for enjoying Fried Chicken!! 😂🤣
Mary :))
Yum! Fried chicken! In high school I worked in a place that sold burgers and fried chicken. The fried chicken was delicious! It is a delectable memory!
I loved the story about your grandmother and her fried chicken expertise! How wonderful that you inherited her cast iron skillet. My family were not fried chicken connoisseurs, but Mike’s family was, especially his grandmother, who he spent a lot of time with growing up. My family’s meal from my mother’s mother is Boneless Pork Loin – sliced, breaded, pan-fried, and then baked in the oven until really tender. We (my mom and her brother) even made it at a family reunion about 15 years ago to honor my grandmother.
The chicken eating contest story is the best ever! My Nana made chicken the same way, shaking it in a paper bag seasoned with only salt & pepper. My favorite protein is pork. Pork chops with sautéed onions – I’d be willing to have that 3 times a day.
I agree, the Publix fried chicken is very good. We tend to go that route a lot! Juicy but crisp. Yummy. I can’t wait to get home to get some.enjoy your week.
I actually rarely eat fried chicken and when I do I don’t eat the fried part but pull that off and eat the juicy chicken LOL I’m a rarity I guess. I don’t like making fried food other than fried potatoes.
Still fry chicken on occasion. Niece and family will come down from Atlanta if Aunt Carolyn says she is frying chicken in cast iron skillet. Lots of chicken fried in the past on Sundays. Good memories.
We are Publix fried chicken fans too. My Dad made the most wonderful fried chicken for Sunday dinners. Good memories. Another Sunday favorite was beef roast with the vegetables and potatoes in a big old blue enamel roasting pan. the gravy was divine!
I never fry chicken but I sure do love it!
I love chicken! Fried chicken, broasted chicken, but my favorite is the grilled chicken like my dad used to make. My dad loved to grill chicken. The chicken pieces were washed, patted dry, and grilled over charcoal. They were basted with butter (not margarine, but REAL BUTTER!) every few minutes until done. The skin would be crispy and even black in some places, but the chicken inside was delicious! I still grill my own chicken much the same way, only I have a gas grill and add a few spices to the basting butter. It reminds me of him every time! He has been gone for almost 50 years already, but I can still see him in my memories, grilling his chicken on our charcoal grill with a beer in his hand. Thanks, Dad.
What a great story of your grandmother, and of your childhood! I loved it!
I don’t make fried chicken, but enjoy eating it and am not too picky. As long as it isn’t dry.
My grandmother hosted big family meals for special occasions, and the thing I remember loving was her salad dressing. The flavors of the seasonings and herbs she used just hit me right. I never could get a “recipe” as she said she just threw things in until it tasted right. Still sad about that, haha!
Love today’s chicken memories. I have my mom’s cast iron skillet and lid that I use often. I love fried chicken and try my best to leave the skin. I’ve found that baking powder added to the flour and S & P is the secret. My grandmother’s secret ingredient for many dishes was nutmeg~~yes, even a dash in the green beans.
I love your grandma’s fried chicken story. I don’t fry, but used to buy at the local supermarket (Redner’s in Delaware). It is a good fried chicken and we often order a tray when we have family dinners. At home I use House Autry Season mixed with Panko seasoned crumbs and airfry. It stays really juicy in my air fryer and has a nice crunch. I
Carole,
Your entry for today makes me very hungry, especially now for fried chicken. I’ve never tried Publix, but will give it a try. Where we used to live Col. Sanders and Kentucky Fried Chicken ( KFC) was the big place to go. Somewhere I even have the recipe for the “11 herbs and spices” used by KFC. I used to make this years ago.
My mother made the best fried chicken to me. She did it similar to the way your grandmother did and also used an iron skillet. I think we tend to forget the benefits of an iron skillet. I still bake cornbread in one, even if it’s only Jiffy mix.
McDonald’s now has a better chicken sandwich, the Mc Crispy and their chicken strips are also good. I still like Chic-fil-et but McDonald’s is less sweet.
After reading your article, I may have to make some fried chicken from scratch once more. I also am not able to make it as good as my mother did.
Blessings,
Beverly
Recipes for the secret 11 herbs and spices are all over the internet, just do a search if you want to make that.
If you go to Publix, know that they have two versions of their breaded fried chicken – plain and hot/spicy. The plain breaded is my favorite. I think the hot/spicy is too spicy. They also do fried wings without breading.
I like Chick-fil-a, too!
My grandmother also made delicious fried chicken. Her tip was to salt the chicken and refrigerate overnight before cooking. I don’t fry it myself either, but my brother does and his is tasty, too.
My Grandmother also made wonderful fried chicken. It was served with a green bean and new potatoes side. Delicious!!
But my most favorite thing she made was homemade hand cranked peach ice cream made with a custard base and fresh peaches from my aunt’s peach tree. Yum! All of us kids would take a turn cranking away on the back porch steps until the crank wouldn’t turn any longer. Then the ice cold peach goodness would be served. It was heavenly.
love your ode to fried chicken. (the grandparents especially!)
Gotta love a good cast iron skillet. At 50 years old they are just getting warmed up…
I haven’t had fried chicken in a long time but yours looks delicious and now I want some. I ususally oven bake it but it doesn’t get crispy. Maybe because I use bread crumbs instead of flour. My grandmother made the best molasses cookies. Every time we went to visit, I would raid the cookie jar.
I tried frying chicken for years…trying different methods and recipes, but it never turned out great. Plus, I managed to make a huge mess with the breading and the hot oil.
So, we switched to KFC and grocery fried chicken. All was right with the world.
Now, I’m funny about chicken and don’t want pieces with bones…only chicken straps for me.
Thanks for your good story and food for thought.
Now I’m hungry! I haven’t eaten fried chicken in years. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob was our standard food while watching golf tournaments.
Really good fried chicken is just fantastic and it sounds like your gran was the champ. It’s not a cooking method I do but I appreciate it. I especially loved the stories. What wonderful memories to have!
I have a funny fried chicken story! As a newlywed, I wanted to cook my DH’s favorites, and he told me he really enjoyed fried chicken and could I make it. Well, I had never fried chicken in my life, and don’t think my Norwegian mom ever did, soI took out my trusty Good Housekeeping cookbook, and followed their instructions then cooked it in my electric skillet. DH raved about it, and said it was better than his moms, then asked why I hadn’t made it before. I told him it was my first ever, and the look on his face was hilarious!
We can put your grandmother’s fried chicken with my grandmother’s blackberry cobbler and we will have a true southern Sunday feast! Sounds just about perfect.
Growing up in Chicago, the fried chicken in our family was simply tossed in flour with salt and pepper—and they called it Southern fried! I agree with the Publix purchase.