4 to 6 servings SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (2-1/2 to 3-1/2 pounds)
- Scant 1/2 cup white vinegar
- Scant 1/2 cup coarse salt
- Water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 to 5 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 3 eggs
- Shortening, for frying
Directions
- Cut chicken into 8 pieces – 2 wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs, and 2 breasts. Reserve the back for making homemade stock.
- Pour vinegar and coarse salt into a 2-quart pitcher, and add enough water to fill. Stir to dissolve salt. Divide and place chicken pieces into two 1-gallon zipper-seal bags. Add equal amounts of marinade mixture to each bag. Seal bags, squeezing out as much air as possible. Place in refrigerator to marinate for 3 hours.
- Remove chicken pieces from marinade and place on a baking sheet. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, to allow chicken to warm up.
- In a large plastic or paper bag, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Shake bag to blend ingredients thoroughly. Set aside.
- Place eggs in a bowl, and beat well.
- Dip a piece of chicken in the eggs, then place in the bag, and shake to coat. Remove chicken from the bag, and place on a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Let the pieces stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to look wet. Coat each piece a second time by dipping them in egg and then shaking in the coating mixture. Remove from bag and place on a plate.
- When all chicken pieces are coated, add enough shortening to your frying pan so that the chicken pieces will be half-covered, and begin heating the oil to 360 F.
- When the oil reaches 360 F, carefully add chicken pieces, being careful not to crowd them. Increase temperature and bring oil back up to 350 F as quickly as possible. Fry, turning pieces initially after 30 seconds, and then every 2 minutes, until chicken pieces reach the proper internal temperature. Take the temperature at the thickest part of each piece, to make sure they're cooked through.
- Remove chicken pieces from frying pan, and place on a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.