Extra-crispy Fried Chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F, and set a baking rack over a sheet pan to hold the chicken once it’s fried.
2. Make the wet batter: Combine the beer and egg yolk well in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the flour, salt, pepper and Tabasco in a medium bowl, whisking well. Slowly pour the beer mixture into the flour mixture, stirring thoroughly to remove any flour lumps. (If this mixture gets too thick from sitting out, thin it with a tablespoon of water.)
3. Make the dry flour coating: Combine all the coating ingredients, whisking well, and divide between two medium bowls (one bowl will be for the wet chicken).
4. Heat 1″ of vegetable oil to 365 F in a medium to large pot (I use an 8-quart pot) with high sides. If you don’t have a frying thermometer (I don’t), test the oil by dropping in a crouton-sized piece of bread—any old bread will do. If it starts sizzling immediately and turning into an actual crouton, it’s good to go. If not, then the oil is not hot enough—or it’s too hot if the bread starts to burn right away.
5. While the oil heats, rinse and pat dry the chicken pieces. If you like, you can season the naked chicken first, with salt, pepper, cayenne, or what have you. Dredge the chicken first in the dry flour, then in wet batter, then in the other bowl of dry flour. Set aside until ready to fry.
6. Add chicken to the hot oil in batches to avoid overcrowding. I fry 4 pieces at a time. Fry for about 15 minutes per batch, turning over after 8 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Remove chicken from the oil to the baking rack and let it rest while you fry the other batches.
7. When all the chicken is fried and on the baking rack, place the baking sheet in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a knife. Let cool about 5 minutes before eating.
8. See? I told you it was crispy!

Note: The baking portion of this recipe is adapted from Ina Garten.