re: What "simple" dish do you struggle with?

Longtime lurker; I registered for an account just for this question.

I'm pretty good in the kitchen. I can make perfectly cooked fish every time. I make omelets on the reg. Traditional style, too. Delicate little, pale yellow oval with a warm, curdy inside. I can whip up a perfect hollandaise, bearnaise, etc..., and I don't even have a double boiler. Rice is never a problem, not even risotto. I bake my own bread, render my own lard, roll my own pasta. I make great homemade ravioli with creamy sweet pumpkin and almond biscotti crumble filling.




I can't fry chicken.

It's embarrassing; I always screw it up. Oil is always either too hot or too cold, even though I measure and fry at exactly 350. I don't overcrowd the pan either. I always get a hard shell on the outside and it's undercooked on the inside. Whenever I lower the oil temp then it gets even worse. The only way I can do it somewhat OK is if I pre-steam the chicken and then only worry about the skin, but I want to be able to do it the old fashioned way.