stockpot or Dutch oven, pour in the vegetable oil. (It shouldn’t
come up any more than halfway; ideally, it’d be a third of the way
up. You don’t want that hot oil to bubble over!*) Using a deep-
frying thermometer, heat the oil until it reaches 370°F.
Now, piece by piece, dip the chicken in the water and then in
the flour (the water helps the flour stick). Make sure the chicken is
thoroughly coated in flour; you don’t want water to come in
contact with the oil. Carefully lower the floured chicken into the
oil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every so often, until,
when you cut into a piece, the meat is all white and not at all pink.
(The breast will cook faster than the legs or thighs.) Use the
thermometer to maintain the oil temperature between 365 and
370°F.
Use tongs or a spider to lift the chicken to a plate lined with
paper towels and then serve* very hot. If you’re planning to fry
chicken again soon, you can allow the oil to cool and strain it into a
container, where it will keep for several weeks.
* Knowing how to cut up a chicken is a skill worth having; it’s
cheaper than buying chicken in parts and also is better because
the chicken will be fresher. Use a sharp knife and start by
cutting off the wing at the joint where the wing meets the body.
Then use the knife to separate the thigh and leg together,
bending the chicken around to find the joint. Once again, bend
the chicken to find the joint that attaches the leg to the thigh and
cut that apart. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut out the