Country Fried Chicken

From: How To Read A French Fry

1 (3-4 pound) chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces ( 2 each legs, thighs, wings and breasts)
Salt
2 C milk (or buttermilk)
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
Peanut oil, lard or vegetable shortening for shallow-frying

Season the chicken lightly with salt and place in a zipper-lock plastic bag. Pour the milk into the bag, seal, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and cayenne in a large brown paper bag.

Add enough oil to come halfway up the sides of a large heavy skillet and heat over high heat until it is about 350 degrees.

Remove the chicken legs and thighs from the milk and gently shake off most of the excess liquid. Add to the flour mixture and shake well to coat thoroughly. Remove from the flour and place skin side down in the hot oil, being careful not to burn yourself with splatters. Fry until the chicken is browned on the first side, about 15 minutes. Keep a close eye on the heat; once you've added the chicken to the pan, you'll probably want to wait 3-5 minutes for the oil to heat, then reduce the heat to medium-high. Turn the chicken and cook until browned on the second side and nearly cooked through. When the dark meat is done, transfer it to a rack set on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and keep it warm in the oven while you cook the white meat.

Remove the chicken breasts and wings from the milk, shake gently, add to the flour mixture and shake to coat well. Add the chicken skin side down to the hot oil and cook until well browned on the first side, about 10 minutes. Turn and continue cooking on the other side until browned and cooked through. When all the chicken is done, serve immediately.