Hermion's Fried Chicken
Chicken pieces
salt
milk
flour
bacon grease
black pepper
Wash and drain chicken pieces. Salt freely, stack in glass bowl, let stand in refrigerator overnight, covered. Rinse off excess salt one hour before cooking, return to bowl, cover with milk. (the milk will be used in the gravy later)
Lift one piece of chicken at a time, roll in flour, place in cast iron skillet with about 1/2 inch of HOT bacon grease. Pepper slightly, brown both sides rapidly. As soon as it is browned, place in ungreased flat metal pan. Do not stack pieces. Place in 400° oven 15-20 minutes, depending on size of chicken pieces.
Drain grease from skillet while still hot. Sprinkle in flour left from rolling the chicken. When chicken is cooked, drain grease and chicken juices from metal pans into skillet, and brown the flour. Put a bit of hot water (from the potatoes that you are cooking for mashed potatoes) into the metal pans to loosen any brown crumbs from cooked chicken (agitate with a fork to get all of it), add to skillet, use this water plus milk (above) for gravy. (Go to Pan Gravy for details.)
Serve with slightly lumpy home-made mashed potatoes and fruit salad (canned citrus slices and lettuce).
This is the BEST fried chicken in the world! Will not be as good if cooked with oil or shortening.