Literature teaches many a pungent lesson. Neither a borrower nor a lender be. To thine own self be true. A little learning is a dangerous thing.
Which is why one muggy afternoon, I borrowed a copy of the compendium titled “American Food Writing.” While my biker biked and my hula hoopers hooped, I stayed true to my principles and settled into the hammock. In pursuit of a little learning, I opened to a rant by the distinguished William Styron.
The master of the soggy Southern landscape scorches the soggy Southern fried chicken. Which, he notes, is made by dipping chicken parts in batter and deep-frying. Producing chicken. And crust. Which have a tendency to separate into two distinct dishes, one caught in the teeth, the other ignored on the plate.
Though deep in hammock lethargy, I understood. Indeed, on my picnic blanket, certain young diners consumed solely the crust. Abandoning the chicken parts.
I was keen to Styron’s problem. And keener still to his remedy: Dredge chicken in seasoned flour and shallow-fry in bacon fat. Fusing exterior and interior into a unified whole. As singular as the Mobius strip or monotheism.
Abandoning hammock, I rendered bacon. I dredged chicken. I shallow-fried, at length. And served my family crisp, crackly, indivisible chicken. Which, my fitness fans noted, could be considered dangerous. I nodded. And, staying true to mine own self, reached for a second serving.
Literate chicken
Prep: 10 minutes
Chill: 2 hours
Cook: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Coarse salt Freshly ground pepper
1 small chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 pound bacon
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground red pepper
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1. Season: Salt and pepper chicken generously. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill, 2 to 24 hours.
2. Crisp: Settle bacon in a large cast-iron skillet. Crisp over medium heat, 10 minutes. Lift out bacon; save to line BLTs or crumble over potato salad. Leave drippings in pan.
3. Dredge: Whisk together flour, 1 tablespoon salt and the red pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge chicken pieces in flour, shaking off excess.
4. Fry: Reheat bacon drippings over medium heat. Add half the chicken pieces, without crowding. Fry slowly, turning with tongs, until crackling golden brown outside and 165 degrees inside, about 20 minutes for legs, 35 for breasts. Drain on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Provenance: Adapted from William Styron’s “Southern Fried Chicken” in “American Food Writing,” edited by Molly O’Neill.
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