Indiana Fried Chicken

Name: Indiana Fried Chicken
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1 4-pound chicken; 1 tablespoon fine table salt, plus more to taste; 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper; 3 to 4 cups lard or canola oil; 3 cups flour, for dredging; 4 tablespoons water, at room temperature

Recipe from Wagner’s Village Inn

Adapted by Michael Ruhlman

Indiana Fried Chicken — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4(200)
Comments: Read comments

This superb style of fried chicken, found in southeastern Indiana, relies on a heavy use of black pepper. Wagner’s Village Inn, a bar and restaurant in Oldenburg, stays true to the old-school method of skillet-frying in lard, and makes some of the best fried chicken in the area. The use of lard results in a very rich flavor, but canola oil is an acceptable substitute. At Wagner’s, the cooks add two tablespoons of water to the skillet just before removing the fried chicken, believing it “seals in the flavor.” Maybe, maybe not, but it’s a festive finish to this exquisitely simple dish. —Michael Ruhlman

Featured in: If It’s Sunday in Southeastern Indiana, Order the Fried Chicken

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

14-pound chicken
1tablespoon fine table salt, plus more to taste
2½ to 3tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
3 to 4cups lard or canola oil
3cups flour, for dredging
4tablespoons water, at room temperature

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Remove the legs from the chicken at the joint. Separate the drumsticks from the thighs at the joint by placing the leg skin side down and following the line of fat that runs directly above the joint. Remove the wings at the joint. Place the chicken neck side down and separate the back from the breast using a knife or kitchen shears. Cut the breast into quarters. Cut the back in half crosswise.
Step 2
Transfer the chicken pieces to a large bowl. Sprinkle evenly with the salt and pepper and toss to coat, rubbing the chicken pieces to make sure the seasoning is uniformly distributed.
Step 3
Add the lard or oil to a large, deep cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. You should have about 1 inch of fat, enough that the chicken will be submerged about three-quarters of the way up. Heat over high until the oil reaches 350 degrees, reducing the temperature as needed to medium or medium-high to keep it around 350 degrees.
Step 4
Add the flour to a large bowl and dredge the chicken in the flour until thoroughly coated. Working in 2 batches, carefully lay half the chicken into the hot fat and pan-fry, turning the pieces frequently for even cooking, until the chicken is golden brown and the thighs are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes per batch.
Step 5
Just before removing the chicken, turn off the heat. Carefully add 2 tablespoons of water to the fat. (It will boil up immediately. Add the water directly to the fat at a close range in the center of the skillet to minimize splatter; feel free to use a ladle if you don’t want to get too close.) When the water has cooked off and the vigorous bubbling has subsided, transfer the chicken to a paper-towel-lined plate. Turn the heat back on, bringing the oil back to 350 degrees, and fry the remaining batch of chicken, turning off the heat before adding the final 2 tablespoons of water. Transfer chicken to another paper towel-lined plate and serve immediately.

Ratings

4 out of 5

200 user ratings

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Comments

Joe6 years ago

May I humbly suggest a wire rack to let the oil drain off, instead of paper towels. Paper does absorb the oil, but then the chicken sits in the oil-saturated towel and the crust can lose some of that wonderful crunch.

Melva L6 years ago

This is exactly how I learned to fry chicken from my Grandma. Let me just say that I do not like canola oil. Certainly not for frying; it has an unpleasant smell when heated to the temp necessary for frying. Go for the lard or Crisco solid shortening in a iron skillet

Dave Forbes6 years ago

Unlike the other comments I actually made this for dinner tonight. Yeah, I used a big pack of chicken thighs so everything cooks evenly. And sure, I used half lard and half canola. But bottom line? Delicious. There was much less splattering than usual with a cast iron skillet. Was it the lard? Dunno. Only advice? Don’t skimp on the salt or black pepper, and don’t try to get fancy with other spices. Enjoy it for what it is.

Randy2 months ago

Not sure why there is so much hand-wringing over this recipe. Follow it and enjoy delicious crispy fries. Best I have ever made from scratch.

Karen4 months ago

Excellent and reminds me of my mother's fried chicken that she made every Monday. I skipped the instructions. I did, however, per an American Test Kitchen recipe, dunk the floured bird in water and then gave it a second coating of flour. The pieces chilled on plates in the fridge for a few hours before frying in a cast iron Dutch oven.

M.Rose5 months ago

Adding the water is NOT a good idea. flames shot up to the commercial exhaust fan - pretty dramatic. I love this recipe and use it often but had never added the water before- and won't ever again. I think this is because I fried the chicken in a deep but not dutch oven deep cast iron pan and the oil boiled over when I added the water. I'd warn about this in the recipe.

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