Good Eats episode Fry Hard II concentrates on the old American favorite, fried chicken. It stars Mike Whitfield as a Metallurgist, a pair of hands, and of course Alton Brown as himself. If you enjoy good old country and soul food, then this is quite possibly going to be your favorite episode.

Every Good Eats episode, of course, has somewhat of a story, this one is uses the Edgar Alan Poe poem The Raven as its parody. The rendition of the poem using Julia Child's bust, a chicken instead of a raven, and of course the quote "fry some more" in place of "never more." Great for a good laugh and of course the old fashion "good eats" intro setup. This is one of the more amusing and intelligent lead ins on the show. This is simple yet effective.

There is a lot of practical information in this episode as well. Alton Brown starts off with an explanation of chickens you may find in your supermarket and what each means. Then a great set of instructions on how to carve up your own bird for frying. It is an important topic because of the money you can save carving a whole bird rather than buying one that is already carved for you. On the other hand, in true Alton Brown fashion, the information stands alone throughout the episode so that if you choose to buy a bird already carved, you can still use the frying techniques in the episode.

The actual frying instructions are both comprehensive and applicable. Starting with a soak of the meat in buttermilk and going right through a breading recipe, and finally the frying, the information is heavy but easy to remember. In addition, all the information Alton Brown expresses in the show is also available on the Good Eats website at Food TV.

Tip of the episode: If your cutting board is wobbly, a dangerous condition when carving a chicken or anything else, you can use shelf liner under the board to help it stick to the counter top. You will have a safer board and a safer cutting experience.