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BAPTIST BURN FRIED CHICKEN

The Story

In small Southern towns, Sunday afternoons were reserved for Sunday dinner, or supper. This mandatory attendance after church gatherings took place in the early afternoon. A huge spread was laid out with a mountain of skillet-fried chicken as the centerpiece.

The defining characteristic of this chicken was the burnt, crispy skin. My best friend’s mother called it the “Baptist Burn.”


Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 8 pieces Skin-On Chicken (a whole 3+ lb. chicken)

  • 6 oz. Peanut Oil or Lard

  • 2 cups Flour

  • 2 tbsp. Salt

  • 2 tbsp. White Pepper

  • 1 tsp. Granulated Garlic

Accompaniment & Sides:

Without a doubt, the side dishes would include mashed potatoes and gravy, garden-fresh peas or beans, and possibly fried okra or biscuits. The beverage, of course, would be sweet tea.

Quad Setup:

Full chimney of coal, hot fire, Quad with the grill in place. Use the paella pan for frying.

 

Directions:

  • Place the chicken on a sheet pan and pat dry.

  • Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

  • Dust each piece of chicken in the dry mix.

  • After dusting, lay each piece out on the pan for about 30 minutes.

  • Prepare the Quad. Back in the day, lard was the shortening of choice, but feel free to substitute peanut oil.

  • In the paella pan, add about 1/2 “ of oil or lard.

  • Heat the oil/lard to 350 degrees.

  • Dust the chicken in the flour mixture again and place in the hot oil, skin side down.

  • Cook for approximately 10-12 minutes and turn. The size of the chicken will determine the cooking time. You can check doneness by inserting a knife into the area near a bone; the juice that comes out should be clear.