Indiana Fried Chicken

Ingredients

For 6 servings

• •1 small whole chicken (as close to 3 pounds as possible)
• •1 c. à soupe Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste; for table salt use half as much by volume
• •2 1/2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper, such as McCormick, or freshly ground pepper, if necessary, plus more to taste
• •4 tasse (2 pounds) pure, non-hydrogenated lard
• •2 tasse all-purpose flour (9 ounces; 255g)
• •1 1/2 cups (355ml) homemade chicken stock or store bought low-sodium chicken broth
• •1 c. à café soy sauce
• •1 /2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• •Coleslaw, mashed potatoes, braised green beans, and warm dinner rolls, for serving

Method

1. 1.Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken into 12 pieces: 2 breasts split into 2 bone-in pieces each, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings, and 2 back pieces. You can follow this chicken butchering guide for everything but the back pieces. After removing the legs, use kitchen shears to remove the back, including the ribs, and then split it in half crosswise. Trim off wing tips and discard or reserve for stock.
2. 2.Add chicken pieces to a large bowl, season with salt and coarse ground black pepper, and toss the chicken until evenly coated.
3. 3.In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or a large Dutch oven, add lard and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 360℉ (180℃), 7 to 10 minutes. (Lard has a smoke point of 370℉ (185℃), so be careful not to go much higher than the recommended temperature.)
4. 4.While the lard is heating, dredge each piece of seasoned chicken in flour, taking care to coat it thoroughly. Shake off any excess and transfer chicken to a large plate. Reserve flour.
5. 5.Once lard reaches 360℉ (180℃), carefully place the chicken pieces in the hot lard, skin-side-down. The pan will be crowded, but they should fit in a single layer, with a little bit of overlap. (An important note: If you’re using a chicken larger than 3 pounds, you should fry in two batches.) Increase heat to high.
6. 6.Fry chicken until golden brown on the skin side, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the temperature of the lard between 300 to 325°F (149 to 163℃), 8 to 10 minutes. Flip and cook until the chicken is browned on the other side and cooked through; breasts should reach 160°F, and the thighs and drumsticks 175°F, 5 to 10 minutes.
7. 7.Using tongs, carefully transfer chicken pieces as they finish cooking to a wire rack set over a baking sheet, to drain excess lard. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes before eating.
8. 8.While chicken rests, carefully use a fine-mesh strainer to strain lard into a heatproof bowl or container, leaving the “crumbs” or “drippings” (browned bits of flour) and a thin slick of lard on the bottom of strainer. Dump the solids from the strainer back into the skillet.
9. 9.Whisk 2 tablespoons of the remaining dredging flour into the drippings until combined to form a roux. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until flour is cooked through and smells lightly nutty, 2 to 3 minutes.
10. 10.Slowly pour in chicken stock, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Once stock is fully incorporated, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook gravy, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
11. 11.Remove gravy from heat, then whisk in in soy sauce and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed. (The drippings and soy sauce will add seasoning, so you should only need a modest amount of salt and pepper, if any.)
12. 12.Serve chicken with coleslaw, mashed potatoes, green beans, and dinner rolls, or other simple sides. Pour gravy over the mashed potatoes and/or serve it alongside the chicken in a small bowl or large ramekin.