The 1887 Home Cook Book includes this old-fashioned take on fried chicken. We were interested to note that they brined the chicken (supposedly a modern technique), resulting in a plump and moist result. The recipe comes from Mrs. Bauscher.

Lucy's test kitchen notes: Mrs. Bauscher would have deep-fried the chicken, but we chose to fry until crispy and then bake it. We also seasoned the flour with thyme for a more complex flavour.

Brine:

4 cups cold water

1/2 cup kosher salt

4 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on

Dredge:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon tsp dried

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Vegetable oil for frying

Sauce:

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup cream (your choice, from light to heavy)

1/4 teaspoon mace or nutmeg

1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley

Combine water and salt in a large bowl. Add chicken breasts and allow to stand for 1 hour at room temperature. They should be covered with the brine; if they're not, add more water and salt.

Drain chicken, rinse well with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge chicken in flour combined with thyme and season with pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Pour oil into a large, deep skillet or wok to a depth of ¼ inch. Heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and fry for 4 minutes or until deeply golden. Turn heat down to medium if chicken is browning too quickly. Turn chicken, bone side down, and fry for 4 minutes more.

Transfer chicken to a baking sheet and bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until juices are clear.

Make sauce while chicken is in the oven. Carefully drain oil from frying pan. Return 1 tablespoon of oil to pan, along with flour and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 4 minutes or until golden.

Add cream and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and add mace or nutmeg, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve sauce with chicken. Serves 4