I will always remember the first time I watched my mother wring the neck of a chicken that we had for dinner a short time later.  We had many delicious fried chicken dinners that came from birds we had raised on our farm.

Rather than hatching our own chicks with the aid of a setting hen, we ordered 50 or so by mail.  The rural mail carrier would honk his horn to let us know he had something that would not fit in our mailbox.  I remember what fun it was to see peeping, fuzzy yellow chicks in the cardboard carton as we lifted the box top.

Daddy had built a new brooder house from rough oak lumber.We used an electric light bulb to provide a little bit of heat.  The trick was to keep the fluffy chicks warm but not too hot.  We had colored tablets to put in the water they drank to prevent some disease with a long name.

Their special chick feed was put in long shallow troughs.  After a few weeks, the chicks would begin to feather out.  There was a pen next to the brooder house to let them spend time outside.  I learned what “chicken wire” was, since it kept them out of our garden.

Now back to the fried chicken recipe. Before you catch the chicken, put on a big kettle of water to heat.  As for killing the chicken, be prepared for a lot of flapping and squawking.  There are alternatives to wringing the neck.  Some prefer using an axe on a log and chopping the head off; others hang the chicken on a fence and cut the head off.  It is necessary to let the blood drain out.

The key to getting the feathers removed is hot water that isn’t too hot.  Here’s a good test: If you can dip your fingers into the water three times without burning, it’s just right.  Then it will only loosen the feathers without breaking the skin and melting the fat.

You scald the chicken, dipping it completely three times, saturating all the feathers.  That is a stinky job, because of the smell of the blood and wet feathers.  The feathers and entrails should be carried to a burn barrel well away from the house.

The picked and cleaned chicken (remove pin feathers) is placed in a pan to be cut up in the kitchen. To serve the maximum number of diners, begin by removing the wings, legs and thighs as separate pieces.  Then cut the pulley bone (breast plate) from the breast. Next remove the breast and divide into two parts.  The remaining carcass is then broken in two, for the pieces of back. 

For the best fried chicken, chill the pieces a few hours before cooking.  Dip the pieces in milk and then in flour until nicely breaded.  Get your shortening hot in a cast iron skillet, and use a lid to avoid getting a nasty burn from grease spatter.  Serve with hot biscuits and a nice cream gravy flavored with drippings.

By the way, I recommend that you don’t allow any of your children to pick out a pet chick and give it a name.  That could cause indigestion.

Jerry Lincecum is a retired English professor who now teaches classes for older adults who want to write their life stories.  He welcomes your reminiscences on any subject: jlincecum@me.com