Grandma Tootie's Southern Fried Chicken Recipe

My fried chicken recipe has never been a closely guarded family secret. It's one of the recipes that I'll gladly share with anyone who asks, because it's just so darned simple. But everyone seems to want the recipe!

I don't know if this is the world's best fried chicken recipe, but everyone who has tried it has really raved over it. The crust is nice and crispy without being overwhelming, and the flesh is so juicy the liquid will just run right down your chin. 

One of the main reasons why this chicken is so delicious and juicy is because it's fried in a cast iron skillet. I'll be honest. They aren't cheap. A good cast iron skillet can easily cost $40 or more. But if you take care of them right, they last for ages! Trust me on this. If you season it well when you get it (wipe it all over the inside with oil and heat it over high heat until it's blazing hot) and don't ever use scouring pads or harsh detergents on it when you clean it and re-season after use, it will last you for the rest of your life!

One thing to remember about cast iron is that you should never, ever leave it wet. Wipe any water away the minute you're finished with it and to dry it fully you can set it on the stovetop and bring it to a hot, hot temperature. Then just turn off the heat and let it cool down before you put it away.

Anyway, here's the recipe. Keep in mind that you can tailor this recipe to your family's taste by adding whatever seasonings you like. For example, you could add seasoned salt, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning... whatever you think would be great. I've just always kept it simple, because it tastes amazing just like it is.

Grandma Tootie's Southern Fried Chicken Recipe

• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 pieces of chicken (I use all breasts, because that's what my family prefers)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups peanut oil (or canola, but peanut gives better flavor)
• 1/4 cup bacon drippings (or another 1/4 cup oil)

Directions

1. Brine the chicken by combining 1 Tablespoon salt and 3 quarts of water in a large bowl. Put chicken into brine. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for about 8 hours. (Do not leave in brine too long.) Drain the chicken, rinse with cold water, and pat dry.
2. Mix 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Sprinkle half of this mixture evenly over chicken pieces.
3. Combine remaining salt and pepper into the flour in a large Ziploc bag. Add 2 pieces of chicken to the bag and seal. Shake well to coat chicken evenly. Remove chicken and shake off excess flour. Set aside and repeat with remaining chicken pieces 2 at a time.
4. In a large cast iron skillet with a lid, add oil and bacon drippings. Heat over medium heat to 360 degrees F. (Use a deep frying thermometer, because temperature needs to be very close to 360.)
5. Once oil is hot, add chicken pieces with the skin side down. You will probably need to cook the chicken in batches of 2-3 pieces. (If breasts are very large, you can cut them into two smaller pieces before you add flour or cook them separately from the dark meat.)
6. Oil temperature will drop to about 325 degrees and stay there. Turn the heat up if you need to in order to make sure the oil continues to bubble well.
7. Cover chicken and cook 6 minutes. Remove lid and cook another 9 minutes. Turn chicken. Cover again and cook 6 minutes. Then uncover and cook another 5-10 minutes until chicken is done. Chicken should be 160 degrees F inside. Check with a meat termometer. 
8. Drain on paper towels or paper bags.

1.