Unabashed, Unashamed Southern Fried Chicken

• 1 medium chicken, 3½ to 4 pounds, cut in 8 to 10 pieces and brined for 8 hours
• ½ large onion, sliced
• 3 fat garlic cloves, unpeeled, crushed
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 3 if the chicken is not brined
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon tightly packed, roughly chopped celery leaves
• 1 tablespoon tightly packed, roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 10 ounces lard
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne

1. Drain the brined chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Place the chicken in a large bowl and add the onion, garlic, buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 if the chicken has not been brined, ½ teaspoon pepper, the celery leaves, and the parsley. Toss together, making sure the chicken pieces are thoroughly coated with buttermilk. Transfer to a ziplock plastic bag or cover the bowl tightly. Refrigerate overnight.

3. Heat two-thirds of the lard over medium-high heat in a large cast-iron skillet. While it is heating, mix together the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, the paprika, and the cayenne in a large brown paper bag. Do this by shaking the bag. You will not use all of the flour—in fact you’ll only use about half of it—but it helps to coat the chicken pieces thoroughly if you have a generous amount.

4. Drain the chicken and remove any bits of onion that may be sticking to it. Place the pieces in the bag, fold the bag over, and shake the bag to coat the chicken.

5. Insert a deep-fry thermometer into the fat. When the temperature reaches 375°F, carefully add the chicken pieces, using tongs. The pan can be filled with the pieces, but they shouldn’t be touching each other. Cook, turning the pieces every 3 or 4 minutes, until the pieces are a dark, rich brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Once the pieces are lightly browned all over, turn down the heat to medium so the surface doesn’t burn before the inside of the chicken is properly cooked (160°F in the thickest part; use the thermometer).

6. Remove the chicken from the pan and drain on newspapers or brown paper bags. Add the remaining lard to the pan and cook the remaining chicken pieces. If not serving right away, place the chicken pieces on a rack set on a half-sheet pan. Keep warm in a low oven. If serving cold, refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to serve.