Directions: |
Directions:Start a big bonfire and let it burn till a bed of hot coals remain.
Wash and drain Chicken. In a large container with a lid, combine a lot of flour, pepper and salt.
Shake several pieces of chicken, at a time, in container with flour mixture till coated.
Prepare kettle by starting with a generous layer of Lard. Top lard with floured Chicken, add another layer of lard then chicken, ending with a layer of lard. Do not fill kettle too full as lard will boil over in fire.
Using a pitch fork, pick up kettle and place on bed of coals. Now this part takes practice and a fine sense of smell, but once kettle really starts to boil and the smell of chicken cooking lofts, remove kettle from fire with pitch fork. Use pitch fork to remove lid and have a cooking partner stir the chicken around in the kettle and estimate how much more cooking time chicken needs. Replace lid with pitch fork and, this part is very important, tap the lid 3 times with pitch fork before placing kettle back on fire (because that's what Clifford always did). Once Chicken is cooked to a crispy golden brown, remove from kettle and place in covered pan lined with paper towels. At this point more chicken can be added to already hot lard (more lard may need to be added as well, it's the cooks call) and the cooking process begins again.
Prepare more chicken than you think you'll need because a lot of it will never make it to the table. After all, the "cookers" have to test it to make sure it's good enough to serve.
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Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Dad's time honored tradition founded in his Solon roots never disappointed. He introduced this technique in chicken cooking to the Schmidt family many years ago, and was enjoyed at many family reunions and gatherings! No joke on having more chicken then you think will be needed, especially legs, they are consumed in mass quantities for testing by the cooks.
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This recipe for Clifford's Kettle Chicken is from