Nashville hot chicken

Whisk buttermilk, pickle brine, a very generous amount of hot sauce and one large egg together into a marinade.

Pour the marinade over the cut up chicken and turn it with tongs for a minute or two so every nook and cranny is coated.

Wrap and refrigerate two to four hours.

Stir fine salt into all-purpose flour; no other spices go in because the finishing sauce carries the seasoning.

Lift each piece out of the marinade, wipe off the excess, let it drip back into the bowl and blot it on paper towels, since the first flouring works better on less wet chicken.

Season the blotted pieces with a little extra salt.

Double dredge: roll a piece in the flour until there are no wet spots, shake off the excess, return it to the marinade, let most of it drip off, then flour it thoroughly a second time and set it on a rack.

Use one hand only for the flour and the other only for the milk mixture.

Let the dredged chicken sit out on a rack 15 minutes so the coating sets.

For the sauce put butter and lard in a pan with two tablespoons cayenne, garlic powder, sweet paprika, brown sugar, a touch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cook over medium-high heat a couple of minutes, stirring, until the fats melt and everything is heated through, then turn it off and keep it warm at the back of the stove.

Fill a cast iron skillet about a third of the way with vegetable oil and heat it to 350F.

Add the chicken skin side down, at least for the breasts and thighs; the oil temperature will drop and come back.

Adjust the heat to maintain about 325F.

Fry about eight to 10 minutes per side and check with a thermometer for at least 160F internal.

Turn after six or seven minutes, give the second side six or seven minutes, then turn back for another minute or two; the extra turns give a twice-fried effect and a crunchier crust.

Pull the wings first since they finish first, and continue with the rest.

Drain the cooked pieces on a rack.

Plate the hot chicken on sliced white bread.

Brush the spiced butter and lard sauce generously over both sides, or toss or dip the pieces in it.

Finish with slices of bread and butter pickles.