Remember when I said it was about heat management? Had this happen when I put in my first three thighs:
The oil cooled down (because of the chicken) and the way I placed my pieces meant the oil couldn’t fully circulate - that’s why the left side is bubbling TOO nicely and the right side is… not.
Just reposition the pieces so the oil can circulate and you’ll be good. But look out for this and don’t let it sit there for minutes on end - that way lies greasy chicken.
Success!
Now all 6 breasts are done…
Let’s talk about these thighs.
Split thighs, I do not have the hip attached to these. Note that many of these have that extra flap of skin - unroll that thing and make sure every inch is breaded and that it is not placed in the oil where it is underneath the piece, but to the side of it.
Just makes for a better product:
Legs next:
Finished with the wings, the last one being pulled out of the oil 10 minutes before delivery. Time to spare!
(And no picture)
Was rather pleased at how the slaw came out. It tasted like slaw and everything!
With the corn, I followed the old southern dictum of what butter doesn’t solve, bacon grease does, with liberal doses of both being used to sautee the corn:
Biscuits… let’s just say it all worked out and we’ll talk about other, happier, things, OK?
The spread (more chicken and sides in other dishes, off camera):
Of course I couldn’t make my chicken without frying myself a batch. One thing to watch out for when cooking a LOT of chicken at one time is your oil. It will degrade, especially as flakes of skin and flour fall to the bottom. Therefore, if you cook a big piece late, it will look darker than usual:
Yes, @wolfpup, Luna gets her share. Potatoes, 2 legs worth of chicken (and the knee part too, a bit of bacon grease for potato flavoring and some shaved carrots. With cracklin’s!
Cleanup was fine, about a half hour, 45 minutes. I have a neighbor with a food truck and he let me use his grease trap for my oil (he enjoys my chicken too, but prefers the thicker breadings). (He also loaned me some gloves and a few hairnets, thanks @kayaker for the reminder.)
People always ask how I clean up the skillet, as if cleaning a skillet is a dark mystery. So here goes:
After I dumped the grease and wiped it off, I had this:
I had scraped the sides and put the dried cracklin’s in a bowl for Luna - I’ll sprinkle them in her food over the next day.
Then, I did this. But first…
Ok, gonna let you on a secret: a cast iron skillet which hasn’t been properly washed in years isn’t a family heirloom, it’s just a sign of nastiness. Just because grandma couldn’t read a damn science book does not mean we have to throw sense out the window.
The following may contain shocking, adult content. Viewer discretion, yadda…
Even the back…
Then you hand dry it off, immediately. Twice. Every sq centimeter, front, back, bottom, rim, handle, etc:
Then you take a paper towel, put oil on it (I use olive), and you wipe down the skillet… again, every centimeter, front, back, handle,
rim, etc. Don’t worry if you have too much because…
You take a second paper towel, completely dry, and wipe any excess oil off.
Done. Put away.
And this particular skillet I have had since the mid 1990s and always washed it this way. No one complains of soap taste ( 
), not in 30 years, and I don’t have to somehow make my nastiness a bragging point.
Delivery at 6pm, came home and cooked a batch of white meat, kitchen 90% done by 8:18pm with a little help from my friends:
Final load in washer, it is running, will give kitchen one final wipe down in the morning. And me?
Getting a shower and going to bed. I want to be up by 3am. Busy day tomorrow.