[RunDownHouse]

I've been trying to really nail down chicken, simple chicken. So far I've been using legs and thighs. Even if your meal is simple, executing it to perfection always impresses; nobody says, "Well, this meal is perfectly cooked and planned, but its too simple!" People appreciate excellent cooking regardless of the ingredients. This seared/pan-fried/roasted chicken pairs with tons of stuff.

Turn the oven to 350 and a saute pan on high-med-high (I've got an electric stove and make it about 7.5). Pat the chicken parts dry and season the skin side with your shake. My shake is pretty much just salt, garlic, paprika and a little cayenne. Plenty of shake recipes out there, and I just mix up a bunch and put it in a SS salt shaker I bought at the grocery store.

I use either vegetable oil or shortening or both. If I use shortening, I put it in the pan right when it goes on the stove, so it heats more gradually. Otherwise it doesn't matter too much. Once the pan is nice and hot, put the chicken skin down in the pan and sear for 3-4 minutes. Season the other side while its in there. Then flip and just shove the pan in the oven to cook.

I get a really nice, crispy skin and perfectly cooked chicken when doing this. My only complaint is that it comes out seeming a bit greasy. I've tried using varying amounts of fat from just enough to cover the bottom of the pan (sear for a shorter time) to enough to come about halfway up the chicken (basically pan-frying, right?) and nothing seems to affect how greasy the chicken comes out. Anyone know if that's simply a function of the cut?