Heh, yup, Southern fried chicken is with flour. Skip those crumbs. I don't mind crumbs on lots of stuff and like it on the chicken strips or on pounded chicken, but... regular fried chicken is not the same, to Me, unless is straight flour with plenty of salt. I do put some garlic powder in the flour. Also flavor the egg wash with salt and garlic powder. Gotta stick your finger and taste that flour to make sure it tastes good. Sometimes I'll add a little bit of cayenne too. I too put about an inch of oil in the pan to heat. That way when you put the pieces in it comes halfway up the pieces. Sometimes I'll use a bit less oil, but find it cooks faster and absorbs less oil when you use more oil. Smiles.

I don't care for cast iron. I use the stainless steel fryer my mother bought at a home party when I was about 4 years old (that means that the pan is about 56 years old). I love chicken any which way, but I'm in heaven when it's fried. I use vegetable shortening. My go to recipe is a combination of two recipes from "Cooking With the Chicken Man", by Leonard Thomas. In my opinion, his "method" was a game changer for me. Spicy Buttermilk Fried Chicken: 1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp onion powder 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning 1 tsp. cayenne 2 cups vegetable shortening Wash the chicken and pat it dry. In a bag or bowl, combine the chicken, buttermilk, salt and pepper. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour. In a large paper or plastic bag, mix the onion powder, garlic powder, flour, Old Bay Seasoning and cayenne. Put a few pieces of chicken in the bag and shake to coat. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Shake off any excess flour. Place the chicken on a baking rack until time to cook. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1/2 inch shortening to 350 degrees. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cover. After 5 minutes, uncover; the pan should remain uncovered for the remaining time. After 5 more minutes, turn all the pieces over. Continue cooking about 10 minutes, or until well browned and crisp and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken to paper towels. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve.

Mom always baked our breaded "fried" chicken, and I still do the same. Break down a whole chicken into parts, bread with seasoned breadcrumbs after rolling pieces in beaten egg. Bake at 350 F for 55-60 min, checking towards the end. Shouldn't be much if any oven mess if in a pan with sides.

Here it is. Easy Oven-Fried Chicken 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley chipotle powder or curry powder to taste salt & pepper about a cup of Panko bread crumbs 4 thighs or breasts Combine mayo, Parmesan, parsley, chipotle or curry powder, salt & pepper. Coat thighs with mix, then roll in Panko. Coat a sheet pan with a couple tablespoons vegetable oil. Place thighs on pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I’ve also done it using just mustard and Panko. Honeycup mustard Panko thighs or breasts Coat chicken with Honeycup, then roll in Panko. Coat sheet pan with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Place chicken on pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.