Nashville Hot Chicken

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1 whole chicken

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup whole milk

Louisiana hot sauce

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup lard

1 cup vegetable oil

3 Tbsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp light brown Sugar

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp paprika

Wonder bread, for serving

Pickle chips, for serving

Start by cutting out the spine and placing a little snip at the base of the breast bone to easily crack it in half.

Cut the bird in half, separating into two pieces. Make shallow cuts around the base of the drumette to expose the joint, then crack open and run the knife in between to separate the drumettes.

There is very little bone between the breast and thigh so separating should be easy. To separate the drumstick, place shallow cuts around where the bones meet, then crack open and run the knife between to separate the drumstick from the thigh.

Cut the chicken breasts in half. Rinse and repeat the steps on the other half of the chicken. You should have 10 pieces.

Once the chicken has been cut into pieces, dry brine them by generously coating both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Place into a food-safe container and cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Make the breading: combine 1 cup of whole milk with a few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce and 2 large eggs. Beat together with a fork until no streaks remain. For the dry ingredients, combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and a few tablespoons of the egg/milk mixture. This will create little chunks of breading which will help with crispiness.

First, the chicken goes into the flour mixture, then into the egg mixture, and then back into the flour mixture. This is commonly known as double-dipped fried chicken. Repeat with the remaining chicken and let it hang out in the flour while you prepare oil for frying.

In a high walled frying pan or skillet, place a big block of lard (about 1 cup) and 1 cup of vegetable oil. Heat over medium-high heat and bring it to 350°F.

Gently lay the chicken pieces into the oil -making sure to place them going away from you to ensure no self-splattering. Fry for 5-7 minutes per side, or until deeply golden brown and crisp.

Place on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and keep in a 325°F oven until they are thoroughly cooked through.

To prepare the spice mixture, in a small bowl goes 3 tablespoons of cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, and ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder, paprika, and kosher salt. For a tame and less spicy version, you can reduce the cayenne pepper. Whisk to combine. Put the spice mix in a heat-proof bowl.

Add ½ cup of the frying oil then mix completely together.

Generously brush down both sides of the chicken with the spice oil. If applied while the oil and the chicken are still hot, it’s going to absorb into the crust without making it soggy.

For the proper Nashville style, place on a piece of wonder bread topped with pickle chips.