Good Ole' Down Home in Georgia Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut up
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk (or heavy cream or half and half)
• lard, for frying (about 1-2 cups, you can substitute with vegetable shortening)
• 3 tablespoons bacon grease, for frying (important for flavor)
• flour, for dredging

Directions

1. 1

   Place cut up chicken in a large bowl. Season with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat. Add buttermilk, again tossing to coat. Set aside (you can cover and refrigerate overnight).

2. 2

   Place lard and bacon grease into a large deep cast-iron skillet or dutch oven (you only need about an inch of melted oil). Set on stovetop over medium-high heat and get oil temperature to 350°F.

3. 3

   Place flour into a plastic grocery bag. Shake excess buttermilk from a piece of chicken and place into bag of flour. Coat chicken with flour. (A simple method is to hold sides of bag and steadily and gently roll back and forth like cleaning a bowling ball.).

4. 4

   Dip an edge of the floured piece into the lard; if it sizzles, it's ready. Begin to flour remaining pieces and carefully place them into the pan/dutch oven.

5. 5

   Repeat until the pan is full or all pieces are used. (A whole chicken generally requires two batches and you may need to add just a small amount more of lard for second batch). Cover pot with lid and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

6. 6

   Turn chicken over, cover and simmer again for 5-7 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking until cooked through, or internal temperature of chicken reaches 175°F.

7. 7

   Transfer cooked pieces to a plate lined with paper towels or a baking rack with a towel underneath to catch the drippings. If desired, immediately give a light sprinkling of salt.