How to keep the coating from falling off the chicken

[AllenOK]

Another problem is in the recipe itself, where the original directs you to cover the cooked chicken with aluminum foil. This traps the steam released by the chicken after it's cooked, which will create a soggy crust. When we fry food at work, and store it in a "hot box" for service at a later time, we never cover the pan.

I also like to follow one of Alton Brown's tips for fried foods. After the food is cooked, and removed from the oil, NEVER PLACE IT ON PAPER PRODUCTS TO DRAIN! Use a cake rack, on a sheet pan or jelly-roll pan instead. Paper towels, or other absorbent material keep the food in contact with the oil, and the food will become soggy anyways.

[aesthete]

does the rule of letting the meat sit for awhile after battering apply to fish as well? I've been throwing fish right in the oil after battering, and wouldn't mind a slightly firmer coating.