Name: Fried Chicken with Gravy
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: One 3- to 3 1/2-pound broiler-fryer, cut up for frying (see Note above); 2 teaspoons salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 3/4 cup unsifted all-purpose flour; Vegetable oil for frying or lard, if you can get it (Mrs. McCollum used lard); 1 tablespoon water; 4 tablespoons skillet drippings; 1/3 cup unsifted all-purpose flour; 2 cups water or milk, if you prefer milk gravy (the McCollums don't); 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste; 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

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Fried Chicken with GravyLara Ferroni

This recipe was given to me nearly thirty years ago by Garnet McCollum, a North Carolina farm woman I profiled for Family Circle magazine. In that article, I featured about a dozen favorite family recipes, among them her superb fried chicken. I cannot improve upon it. Once salted, this chicken is refrigerated overnight, so you must begin the recipe a day ahead. Note: Back when I interviewed Mrs. McCollum, chicken breasts weren't D cup in size. Now that they are, I suggest that you halve each breast crosswise so that the chicken cooks more evenly.

Recipe notes

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Recipe notes

When in Doubt, Fry It