Batter
1 cup ap flour
1cup cornstarch
5 t freshly ground black pepper or to taste
2 t baking powder
1 t regular salt
1 t paprika
1/2 t cayenne pepper or to taste
1 3/4 cup cold water

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add water and mix until well combined. Refrigerate.

Brine
1 qt water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup table salt

Whisk together until the ingredients are fully dissolved.

Soak 4 lbs of bone-in chicken pieces in brine for at least one half hour but no more than one hour in the refrigerator.
Pat chicken dry. Give the batter a stir before coating  the chicken.
Cook white meat to 160 degrees and dark meat to 175.
Bring three quarts of oil to 350  degrees. Fry chicken approximately 15 minutes.
Put on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Keep warm in the oven at 200 degrees.

My wife was my food critic and she loved this recipe..It bring back memories because she past away in February..Can still her say "this is the best chicken I have ever ate" Thanks for the memory!!

I'm from North Carolina and I'm 54 yrs old now but I will never forget going to my Great Grandma's and Great Aunts house every summer and when I turned 12 they started teaching me how to cook the "Old Timey Way" as they would always say. Granny took me by my hand and said, "Come on Sis"... She called everyone she loved Sis. Lol  
She led me around the house, down the path we called the "hog path"
Feeding the hogs was exciting to us kids😂
But instead she grabbed a chicken with one hand and... 🫣 MY GRANNY RUNG THAT CHICKENS NECK SO FAST AND killed it! 🫣She smiled, and just calmly said, "It'll be years before you can do that Sis. 😂
We got back to the house, she cleaned it, and cut it all up just like it was from the grocery store. Poured salt pepper and flour in a big brown bag and dumped in the cut up chicken pieces, heated up a big huge glob of crisco shortening in the big black iron skillet and shook that bag of chicken and flour, humming under her breath like she was beating a drum in rhythm to a song!😂 She made the most delicious fried chicken!
This is a true story and I still use the brown bags to coat my chicken and I still have her old iron skillet also,  but I buy my chicken already dead and cleaned! 😂
Thanks Granny!
She passed away
August 14 1988❤️ RIP Sis!🫶
She lived a long & happy 97 yrs!!

Pair that with some mustard potato salad, a Southern-style biscuit and a glass of iced tea and you have a meal made in heaven!!

SHe meant EVERY WORD after she took a bite😂😂😂

I just made this for my husband. We’ve been married 44 years and after many tries and fails, he has resigned himself to having to eat fried chicken at a restaurant. He absolutely loved it!  He said it was far better than any restaurant and he never wants any other. A million thanks for the recipe. It was easy and best of all put a big smile on Hubby’s face. Perfect!

I like to add garlic and onion powder, about 1/4 teaspoon each to the dry mix. Always great to see Julia! 😍

Made this for my Son tonight. I’m single, retired and on  a tight budget!Bought a pack of drumsticks for $5.55 and followed your recipe (used canola oil). My dinner visit with my Son was perfect. He loved it! Thank  you for help making my night  ❤

Just the sound of the crunch when you first into it has the sound of pure goodness. I can already know that this will be the only way I fry chicken. Thanks!

Looks good and I loved the way you kicked the oven door shut, like a real cook.

This Julia at Home series has been absolutely terrific. Best thing the channel has put out in a long time.

I stayed away from frying my own chicken for years because it never came out good until I run into Julia's recipe. I will tell you, the chicken comes out juicy and crispy even after it gets cold. I love the batter that although not thick it's so crunchy as long as you follow Julia's instructions closely.

I ❤ A WOMAN THAT TALKS TO CHICKEN AS SHE PLACES IT IN HOT OIL

Making this recipe for the game tonight  🏈

They way my girl slammed the oven shut with her leg😂😂😂😂

My elders always put the chicken in the oven to finish off.

I’m a retired firefighter and was the Chef. I love watching your shows and recipes. I’ve had 4 heart attacks and 3 strokes but I’m still cooking and I love fryed chicken ❤❤❤😂

The crunch noises it made when Julia took a bite is unreal!

Julia I have been watching you on television since the age of 16 and am 34 now. I wasn’t raised with a mother figure who taught me things. I am so thankful for finding you and America’s test kitchen. You taught me how to cut my first onion. Without you, I would have been lost having to cook for myself when I was thrown out of my home at 16. can’t thank you enough!

This lady makes me excited to trying new methods for frying. I love this channel!

A proper cook is always passionate about the food they are about to devour

Great content, thank you ☺️