Fried chicken is a beautiful thing.

Nothing beats the simplicity of a tender, moist piece of meat, delicately seasoned and lightly dredged with a dusting of flour, and then baptized in a pool of sizzling fat to crisp, golden perfection.

Quintessential comfort food that it is, fried chicken is unpretentious. No haughty airs here. Eating with your fingers is not only acceptable, it’s all but required.

So maybe it’s a little surprising to find that fried chicken has become the hot culinary muse of the moment. Chefs, meet Eliza Doolittle. Fine cuisine, meet fried chicken.

One look at the recent crop of cookbooks tells you that chefs everywhere are jumping on the fried chicken bandwagon. Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc recipe may look homey, but there’s an unmistakable air of educated refinement. The Bromberg brothers’ cookbook from their restaurant Blue Ribbon reinvents the Southern staple as “Northern Fried Chicken,” breaded with matzo and dipped in honey.

And then there’s David Chang, whose recipe in the Momofuku cookbook tosses out the crust altogether. Instead, the steamed birds, without batter, are treated to a skinny dip in hot oil before being dressed with a glossy, tart vinaigrette.

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It all kinda feels like “Project Runway.” But with chicken.

While lovers of classic fried chicken agree that the dish may be basic, they’ll also acknowledge that good fried chicken requires technique, time and dedication. Good fried chicken is not “fast food.”

But what exactly is that perfect technique? This is where fans disagree. Everyone has the one true method for perfect fried chicken. And everyone else’s is heretical.

After a couple of weeks testing recipe after recipe, I have some very firm opinions of my own. And some super-greasy clothes.

Good fried chicken starts with a good bird. Yeah, it may sound like a no-brainer, but you’ll taste the difference. Bred mainly for size and appearance, too many commercial chickens suffer from a terrible lack of personality. If you want flavor, spend a few extra bucks on a quality bird.

And yes, size does matter. Many classic fried chicken recipes call for pullets – young small hens. Even many newer recipes call for smaller birds, somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 pounds. Many modern chickens weigh as much as twice that.

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Not good. With fried chicken, you’ve got to cook the meat to moist tenderness in the time it takes the outer crust to fry to a crisp golden brown. Too large a bird and the crust might over-color (read: burn) before the meat cooks through.

TRY GAME HENS

One trick I found is using Cornish game hens instead of chicken. The flavor is good and they’re small enough that the meat cooks through without burning the crust. Substitute a couple of game hens for a standard chicken called for in a recipe; they usually come in packs of two, which makes it even easier.

So what about seasoning? Some recipes call for a brine. Though brines can be great for adding flavor and moisture, if you use good birds and cook them properly, they’ll stay moist. And there are other ways to season.

My favorite seasoning is a simple dry rub. Season the bird with salt and just a few ingredients – don’t complicate things – then toss it in a bowl and refrigerate the pieces to give the rub time to work. The seasoning will have plenty of time to soak through the meat overnight. I’ll use salt, garlic, a chopped fresh herb or two and a little acid (I like to use a little fresh citrus juice and zest).

The next morning, toss a couple of cups of buttermilk in the bowl and marinate the chicken for a few hours to lend a little extra flavor. The bird won’t be in the buttermilk long enough to tenderize the meat, but the buttermilk will add nice tang.

About an hour before frying, gently shake the pieces free of the buttermilk and dredge. The classic coating is a little seasoned flour, which works just fine – a light coat sticks to the buttermilk, giving it a nice, not too thick crust. For a thicker crust, dredge again (dip the piece in a buttermilk or egg wash first, or let it dry a bit, then dredge again).

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For some fans, fried chicken is all about the crust. For an extra-crisp, crackly crust, use cornstarch in place of some of the flour. Cornstarch is often used in Asian frying and lends a light, crisp crunch. A little baking powder is also great for lightening the texture. Season the bird a little more generously so the flavor stands up to the crust.

Or shake up the dredge a bit for flavor. Corn flour adds a nice sweetness, and cornmeal gives a little extra crunch.

When the pieces are ready, let them sit at room temperature for a while to give the crust time to dry and take the chill off the meat.

CAN’T BEAT LARD

For frying, there’s nothing better than lard. Maybe it’s the flavor, maybe there’s something to the way the fat reacts with the crust, but lard is a magical frying medium. (And there’s a little hint of pork in every bite.)

You can also use a neutral, refined oil with a high smoking point, such as canola or vegetable; peanut oil is often preferred for its high smoking point. If you’d like, flavor the fat before adding the chicken by frying an onion, or some ham or bacon.

Chicken can be either pan-fried, or deep-fried. Unless I’m going for a thick, light crust where I need enough oil to keep the chicken suspended, I prefer to pan-fry. It dirties less oil, and it’s easy to monitor all of the pieces frying at once. Use a good, heavy skillet to evenly distribute the heat (and I swear by cast iron the same way I swear by lard).

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To pan-fry, melt enough fat in a skillet to come a good  to  inch up the side of the pan, and heat the fat to the right temperature, generally between 300 and 350 degrees. Too low, and the oil will soak into the crust rather than fry it; too high, and the crust might burn before your chicken is done. Use a thermometer to keep the heat at a consistent temperature, and make sure you’ve got a good, heavy skillet to evenly distribute the heat.

Fry the pieces until the crust is crisp and golden-brown and the meat is tender, anywhere from 6 to 10 minutes a side depending on the size of the piece (remember, white meat cooks more quickly than dark). Some recipes call for covering the pan with a lid while frying; although this helps retain heat and maybe cooks the pieces a little faster, I find it makes for a crust that’s less crisp.

Drain the crisp chicken, then serve it hot. Or better still, let it sit awhile to allow the flavors to mellow and marry. After all, doesn’t comfort food sometimes taste best the next day? Or perhaps in the middle of the night, by the light of the fridge?

Yeah, it’s a beautiful thing.

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes plus chilling times
Servings: 2 to 4
2 Cornish game hens, or 1 small (3- to 4-pound) fryer chicken
1 tablespoons kosher salt
Zest and juice of  lemon
1 teaspoons paprika, divided
 teaspoon cayenne powder, divided
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
1 teaspoon onion powder, divided
Tabasco, or other vinegar-based hot sauce
2 cups buttermilk, more if needed
2 cups flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 teaspoon cumin powder
 teaspoon celery salt
Peanut oil

1. Wash the game hens or chicken and dry thoroughly. Remove the backbone from each bird (cook with the other pieces, or save for another use), and cut the remaining chicken into 8 pieces (2 breasts, 2 wings, 2 thighs and 2 legs – 9 if you include the backbone). If the breasts are large, cut each in half crosswise to make a total of 10 pieces.

2. In a deep, medium bowl, combine the kosher salt, lemon zest and juice, 1 teaspoon paprika, one-half teaspoon cayenne, the brown sugar, one-half teaspoon garlic powder and one-half teaspoon onion powder and a few dashes of Tabasco to form a rub. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl, massaging the rub all over each piece. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least several hours.

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3. The next morning, pour the buttermilk over the pieces and gently toss to coat; the buttermilk should barely cover the chicken; if not, add just enough to roughly cover. Cover the bowl again and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours for game hens, 6 to 8 for chicken.

4. Season the flour: Place the flour, cornstarch and baking powder in a large bag, bowl or baking dish and season with the table salt and  teaspoon freshly ground pepper,  teaspoon paprika,  teaspoon cayenne,  teaspoon cumin,  teaspoon garlic powder,  teaspoon onion powder and  teaspoon celery salt, or to taste. Taste the flour, and adjust seasoning if desired.

5. About 1 hour before frying, remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Remove each piece from the buttermilk, shaking gently to remove any excess buttermilk (do not attempt to dry the pieces). Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour mixture, coating completely. Shake to remove the excess flour, and continue until all of the pieces are coated. Repeat with each of the pieces, so each is floured twice. Set the pieces aside on a rack to dry and warm to room temperature.

6. While the pieces are resting, prepare the oil: Place oil in a large, heavy-bottom soup pot or deep fryer to a depth of 3 to 4 inches and heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees.

7. Gently place the pieces in the hot oil, being careful not to crowd. Lower the temperature to 325 degrees and fry the pieces until crisp and golden brown and the meat is firm and opaque, about 8 minutes for game hen pieces and 10 to 12 minutes for chicken (timing will vary depending on the size of the pieces); a thermometer inserted in the meat will read 160 degrees when done. Remove the pieces from the hot oil and drain, skin-side up, on crumpled paper towels. Repeat until all the pieces are fried.

8. Serve the pieces hot or at room temperature.

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Each of 4 servings: 829 calories; 37 grams protein; 82 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 38 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 170 mg. cholesterol; 3 grams sugar; 1,823 mg. sodium.

CORNMEAL-DUSTED FRIED CHICKEN

Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes plus chilling times
Servings: 2 to 4
2 Cornish game hens, or 1 small (3- to 4-pound) fryer chicken
1 tablespoons kosher salt
Zest and juice of  orange
1 teaspoons finely minced garlic
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons finely minced rosemary
2 cups buttermilk, more if needed
1 cups flour
1 cups corn flour
 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Canola oil

 pound bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips

1. Wash the hens or chicken and dry thoroughly. Remove the backbone from each bird (cook this with the other pieces or save for another use), and cut the remaining chicken into 8 pieces (2 breasts, 2 wings, 2 thighs and 2 legs — 9 if you include the backbone). If the breasts are large, cut each in half crosswise to make a total of 10 pieces.

2. In a deep, medium bowl, combine the kosher salt, orange zest and juice, minced garlic, maple syrup and minced rosemary to form a rub. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl, massaging the rub all over each of the pieces. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least several hours.

3. The next morning, pour the buttermilk over the pieces and gently toss to coat; the buttermilk should barely cover the chicken; if not, add just enough to roughly cover. Cover the bowl again and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours for game hens, 6 to 8 for chicken.

4. Place the flour, corn flour and cornmeal in a large bag, bowl or baking dish and season with the table salt and freshly ground pepper. Taste the blend and adjust the seasoning if desired.

5. About 1 hour before frying, remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Remove each piece from the buttermilk, shaking gently to remove any excess buttermilk (do not attempt to dry the pieces). Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour mixture, coating completely. Shake to remove the excess flour, and set the pieces aside on a rack to dry and warm to room temperature.

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6. While the pieces are resting, prepare the oil: Place enough oil in a large heavy skillet to come up the sides by about  inch, and add the bacon. Heat the oil over medium heat, very gently frying the bacon until crisp and the oil is hot (be careful – as the bacon fries, it will pop and splatter when it is close to done). Strain the bacon (save it for another use), and check the temperature of the lard; a thermometer inserted should read 325 degrees.

7. Gently place the pieces, skin-side down, in the hot oil, being careful not to crowd. Lower the temperature to 300 degrees and fry the pieces on each side until crisp and golden brown and the meat is firm and opaque, about 5 minutes for game hen and 7 to 8 pieces for chicken. Flip the pieces over and fry on the other side until done (a thermometer inserted in the meat should read 160 degrees). Remove the pieces from the hot oil and drain, skin-side up, on crumpled paper towels. Repeat until all the pieces are fried.

8. Serve the pieces hot or at room temperature.

Each of 4 servings: 827 calories; 38 grams protein; 78 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 40 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 170 mg. cholesterol; 4 grams sugar; 1,912 mg. sodium.

PAN-FRIED CHICKEN

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes plus chilling times
Servings: 2 to 4
2 Cornish game hens, or 1 small (3- to 4-pound) fryer chicken
1 tablespoons kosher salt
Zest and juice of  lemon
1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves
Black pepper
 teaspoon finely minced garlic
2 cups buttermilk, more if needed
3 cups flour
1 teaspoons table salt
4 to 6 cups lard
1 large onion, sliced into thick rings

1. Wash the game hens or chicken and dry thoroughly. Remove the backbone from each bird (cook with the other pieces, or save for another use), and cut the remaining chicken into 8 pieces (2 breasts, 2 wings, 2 thighs and 2 legs – 9 if you include the backbone). If the breasts are large, cut each in half crosswise to make a total of 10 pieces.

2. In a deep, medium bowl, combine the kosher salt, lemon zest and juice, minced thyme leaves, several grinds of black pepper and the garlic to form a rub. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl, massaging the rub all over each of the pieces. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least several hours.

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3. The next morning, pour the buttermilk over the pieces and gently toss to coat; the buttermilk should barely cover the chicken; if not, add just enough to roughly cover. Cover the bowl again and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours for game hens, 6 to 8 for chicken.

4. Season the flour. Place the flour in a large bag, bowl or baking dish and season with 1 teaspoons table salt and 1 teaspoons freshly ground pepper. Taste the flour, and adjust seasoning if desired.

5. About 1 hour before frying, remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk, shaking gently to remove any excess buttermilk (do not attempt to dry the pieces). Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour mixture, coating completely. Shake to remove the excess flour, and set the pieces aside on a rack to dry and warm to room temperature.

6. While the pieces are resting, prepare the lard: Place about 4 cups lard in a large heavy skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Melt the lard; it should come up about  to  of an inch up the side of the pan (melt additional lard if needed). When the lard is just melted, add the onion rings and continue heating the lard until the onion is caramelized and the lard is hot. Remove the onion (discard it, or save for another use), and check the temperature of the lard; a thermometer inserted should read 350 degrees.

7. Gently place the pieces, skin-side down, in the hot lard, being careful not to crowd. Lower the temperature to 325 degrees and fry the pieces on each side until crisp and golden brown and the meat is firm and opaque, about 5 minutes for game hen pieces and 7 to 8 pieces for chicken. Flip the pieces over and fry on the other side until done (a thermometer inserted in the meat should read 160 degrees). Remove the pieces from the hot oil and drain, skin-side up, on crumpled paper towels. Repeat until all of the pieces are fried.

8. Serve the pieces hot or at room temperature.

Each of 4 servings: 804 calories; 39 grams protein; 74 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 37 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 182 mg. cholesterol; 2 grams sugar; 1,618 mg. sodium.


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