Recipe: Spicy Supercrunchy Fried Chicken

Spicy Supercrunchy Fried Chicken

1 good chicken, cut into serving pieces, or use 8 to 10 leg pieces (drumsticks and thighs), trimmed of excess fat
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 Scotch bonnet (habanero), or other fresh chili, stemmed, seeded and minced, or cayenne to taste, optional
1 egg
1 cup flour
Lard and butter combined or vegetable oil
Lemon or lime wedges for garnish.

In a bowl, toss chicken with salt, pepper, curry, allspice, garlic, chili, egg and 2 tablespoons water. When thoroughly combined, blend in flour, using your hands. Keep mixing until most of the flour is blended with other ingredients and chicken is coated (add more water or flour if mixture is too thin or too dry; it should be dry but not powdery). Let sit while you heat fat; at this point chicken can marinate, refrigerated, for up to a day. Choose a skillet or casserole at least 12 inches in diameter that can be covered. Add enough fat to come to a depth of about 1/2 inch and turn heat to medium-high. If you are using butter, skim any foam as it rises to the surface. When oil is hot (a pinch of flour will sizzle) raise heat to high. Slowly add chicken pieces to skillet (if you add them all at once, temperature will plummet). Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 7 minutes. Uncover skillet, turn chicken and continue to cook, uncovered, for another 7 minutes. Turn chicken again and cook for about 5 minutes more, turning as necessary to ensure that both sides are golden brown. Remove chicken from skillet and drain on paper towels. Serve chicken at any temperature, with lemon or lime wedges.

Yield: 4 servings.