Cast-Iron Fried Chicken

Method

1. 1

   Put the chicken, buttermilk, and 2 teaspoons of the salt in a bowl. Turn the pieces so they are coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.

2. 2

   Stir the flour with the remaining salt, the pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Lift each piece from the buttermilk, let it drip, and press it into the flour. Set the pieces on a rack 15 minutes so the coating sets.

3. 3

   Melt the tallow in the skillet over medium heat to 340°F. Do not let it smoke. Fry the dark meat first, skin side down, without crowding. The fat should stay between 325°F and 350°F. Turn the pieces when the first side is deep gold.

4. 4

   Thighs and drumsticks usually need 12 to 16 minutes total. Breasts, 10 to 14. They are done when the meat at the bone reads 165°F, not when the crust merely looks brown. Drain on a rack 5 minutes. Stay with the skillet. Turn the heat off when you are finished.

From the kitchen

• If the crust browns in 4 minutes and the bone is still raw, the fat was too hot. Lower it and finish the chicken, or the outside burns while the inside stays unsafe.
• Tallow is the fat. Do not substitute a seed oil.