- 3 hours before frying chicken, place chicken pieces in a large bowl of water that's been heavily salted. Drain chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Place flour on a plate and dredge chicken pieces until well coated.

Melt Crisco in a deep sided large fry pan. A cast iron skillet works great. When oil reaches around 375 degrees start placing the floured chicken in the hot oil. Cook until well browned, checkin pieces. As soon as the pieces start to brown, turn them and cook on the other side until well browned. When done, turn down heat to medium and cover with lid. Cook about 3 minutes just to make sure chicken is cooked through.

Remove pieces to a paper towel.

For the Gravy: Drain oil from pan so that about 3 tablespoons remain. Return to medium heat and add flour to oil. Cook 2 - 3 minutes or until flour is starting to turn color. If the mixture seems thin, add a bit more flour. Add milk and starchy water from the potatoes you've cooked. Let it bubble until thickened. Add more milk if necessary to get that gravy consistency.