Fried Chicken

I bought a whole chicken to roast but wasn't in the mood on account I bought baking potatoes and corn on the cobb. The beautiful corn was 25 cents an ear and the 1 pound potatoes, 25 cents a pound, both a bargain. The chicken was under $5. My point is, often we spend twice the money for foods we can make at home. Another savings tip, cut up your own chicken. It requires a very sharp good quality knife. If you don't own one, put it on your Christmas list. I used my Sabatier boning knife.
First, remove wings and legs at the joint. Next, remove the back along the rib bones. If you like to make stock, reserve, but if it's not in your plans, disgard. Cut to separate the thighs from the breast. You will notice, when you cut your own chicken the pieces are much larger. With that in mind, I cut the breasts in half (using an 8" chef's knife) so they cook as long as the other pieces.
For dredging, in a narrow bottomed bowl, beat 1 Cup Milk with 1 Large Egg. Using a caserole dish (or a 1 gallon bag) mix 2 Cups Flour, 1/2 Cup Corn Meal, 1 tsp Kosher Salt, 1/2 tsp Paprika, and 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper.
In making this chicken, I didn't want to "deep fry" so I opted to use my Sautuese and used approximately 1 1/2 Cups Canola Oil (1/2"). I didn't have to cook in batches for all 10 pieces fit at once.
Preheat oven to 350. Heat empty sautuese over medium high heat. Add oil and continue to heat until a drop of water splatters when it hits the oil. It's very important the oil be hot. Starting with the thighs and breasts, add 1 piece at a time into the milk, then dredge in flour and add to hot pan, skin side down. Don't stack the chicken. After a few minutes, give the pan a gentle shake so nothing is sticking. After about 10 minutes and the coating is golden brown, turn once beginning with the smaller pieces. Salt the cooked side at this time. Reduce heat to medium, and cook the 2nd side for about 10 minutes.
Line a sheet pan with a cooling rack. Add pieces to the rack and place in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. This will render some additional fat and cook the meat thoughly without burning the outside. Serve at once. Juicy, tender and crispy!