Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Caslon, you kind of have to get a feel for frying chicken...keep at it, once you get the hang of it, you'll be so glad you did. Nothin' better than nibbling on some cold fried chicken for a couple of days, or taking a bunch of it to a gathering. I love good ol' down home fried chicken and have made it every few months or so for 30 years.
I dust the chicken pieces lightly with seasoned flour, dip in beaten egg, then put them in the flour again and let them set for a while. Maybe 20 minutes or so. Meanwhile, I heat up the skillet and when it's hot, I add an inch or so of oil and let that heat up. I try to add enough oil to come up to about half of the chicken.
I don't use a thermometer - I just sprinkle a pinch of flour in the oil and if it bubbles and sizzles right away, I figure it's time to add the chicken. I don't cover it with a lid, but do use a spatter screen.
Like GG says, if your oil is too hot, you won't get that fat rendered from under the skin. After a few minutes or so, lift up a piece of the chicken and check underneath, it should be starting to brown nicely.
If you use the same skillet, and the same chicken pieces for the next couple of times, you'll get the hang of what works for you. As others have said, there's a bunch of different ways - some cover with a lid, some finish cooking in the oven, but it's all good.
It is hard to say what temp you should be frying your chicken. You just know when it is right. Each stove is different. It is like when my mother taught me to stick my hand in the oven and know when it was ready for the food.