FRIDAY'S FAMILY FAVORITE

I don't know many people who don't like fried chicken, including myself. An iron skillet is the perfect place to fry chicken. The heavy-duty metal keeps the oil cooking at an even temperature rather than dipping drastically every tie ingredients are added. This is the key to non-greasy fried food. The recipe comes from EVERYDAY WITH RACHAEL RAY.

SKILLET-FRIED CHICKEN
1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco
salt and pepper
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
1 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. cayenne
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 egg
3 c. plus 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water, the brown sugar, Worcestershire, hot sauce, 2 tbsp. salt and 1 tbsp. pepper to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Transfer to a large, heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature. Add the chicken (make sure it is submerged completely) and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry.
In a bowl, whisk the flour, cayenne, garlic powder, baking powder, paprika, 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. In another bowl whisk 1 1/2 c. water, the egg and 1 tbsp. oil. Slowly whisk the flour mixture into the liquid mixture.
In a large (10-12 inch) cast-iron skillet, heat the remaining 3 cups oil until it registers 325 on an instant read thermometer. Working with half of the chicken, dip each piece into the batter, let the excess drip off, then add to the skillet (the chicken won't be entirely submerged in the oil). Fry, turning once, until the chicken is deep golden-brown, 12-14 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Increase the heat, if necessary, to bring the oil back to 325. Batter and fry the remaining chicken, then transfer to paper towels to drain.