Cheryl's Amazing Fried Chicken

A Note About Cooking with Cast Iron: Cast iron cookware has been around for centuries for a good reason; nothing heats more evenly or holds heat longer. People in the south use it a lot! I have cast iron skillets of every size. You can spend a lot of money on enamel covered cast iron cookware Le Creuset, or you can buy good old-fashioned pieces from Lodge at a much lower price (sold at Cracker Barrel as well if you are fortunate to have one close to you!) Both styles work extremely well but the enamel finish is much easier to maintain and clean. Never scrub cast iron. What makes it amazing is the "seasoning" that occurs over repeated use. If you take care of it nothing sticks and cleanup is a breeze! I have a 6" skillet that is only used for frying eggs and making cornbread. I clean it without water or soap by scrubbing with coconut oil and kosher salt and a paper towel.

How To Season Cast Iron:
You season a cast iron pan by rubbing it with a relatively thin coat of neutral food-grade oil (I stress a light coat of oil). Place the lightly-oiled cast iron pan, upside down, in the oven, with a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom to catch any drips. For future use don't let water sit in it. It rusts. Dry completely. I dry mine on a burner just till water disappears, then lightly spray it with oil, or wipe with paper towel. That way it's ready for use next time.

Cheryl's Amazing Fried Chicken
Yield: about 4-6  servings

INGREDIENTS

Dry Rub
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp dry ground mustard
1 tbsp cayenne pepper (if you like heat - moderate by your own taste)

1 chicken, cut into 10 pieces (organic is good). You can also buy boneless, skinless whole breasts if you like white meat only.

To Fry
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
All Purpose Flour (for coating chicken pieces)
Salt
Pepper
Peanut oil (for frying at higher temps, peanut oil is superior but you can use canola as well, just don't burn the oil)
2 tbsp cornstarch

METHOD
Make Dry Rub: In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Stir to blend. Place the chicken pieces in a plastic resealable bag and sprinkle with the dry rub. Seal bag and toss to coat each piece evenly.
Refrigerate overnight.
Two hours before cooking, remove chicken from the plastic bag and let sit in the
refrigerator to dry out the skin slightly.
To Fry Chicken: Heat 1/2inch of peanut oil in a cast iron skillet to 360°F. Use a candy or instant read thermometer to monitor the temperature. Temp is important throughout cooking. If oil is not hot enough when you put chicken in, the coating will fall off. If it's too hot the outside will burn before the chicken is done.

Lightly beat the eggs and combine with the buttermilk and water in a shallow dish.
In another shallow dish, combine the flour and cornstarch and season with salt and pepper. Set the two dishes side by side next to the cast iron skillet with the flour mixture closest to the stove.
Dip each piece of chicken into the buttermilk mixture; let excess drip off. Transfer to the flour mixture,
turn to coat and then pat until the excess has fallen off. Gently place in the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides; use tongs to turn the chicken. Check the internal temperature of the chicken (insert probe into thickest portion of each piece being careful not to touch any bones), if it has not reached 160°F, lower the heat under the skillet to medium and continue to cook, turning occasionally with tongs until done.
Transfer cooked chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. This helps keeps the chicken crispy.
You can also place the baking sheet in a slow oven to keep chicken warm if you have to hold dinner a bit before serving.

BE CAREFUL! OIL SHOULD NEVER SMOKE. 

TO PUT OUT A GREASE FIRE NEVER USE WATER. 

USE BAKING SODA OR FIRE EXTINGUISHER. 

(I keep a big box of soda right by my stovetop for emergencies.)

I dispose of old oil by cooling completely, pouring carefully into an old coffee can or jar (preferably with a lid - - like a mayo jar, or a coffee can.) and setting in the frig to harden. I only put in trash can the day the trash is being picked up.