Crawford County Fried Chicken
An extra-crunchy, lard-fried style from southeastern Kansas’ famed chicken houses, traditionally paired with German potato salad and vinegary coleslaw.
This extra-crunchy fried chicken is an homage to the crumb-coated, lard-fried chicken served at southeastern Kansas' six longstanding "chicken houses": Chicken Annie's, Chicken Mary's, Gebhardt's Chicken Dinners, Barto's Idle Hour, Pichler's Chicken Annie's and Chicken Annie's Girard. Popularized in the 1930s by Ann Pichler, the Hungarian-born wife of an out-of-work coal miner who founded Chicken Annie's, the recipe varies slightly between restaurants. Locals eat it with regional versions of German potato salad and vinegary German coleslaw. For crisp, golden brown chicken that's neither greasy nor burnt, be sure to keep the lard between 300 and 310 degrees; this may require near-constant management during the first half of the cook.