209. Pollo Fritto coi Pomodori

For frying, people normally use the best quality fat their native land produces. In Tuscany, olive oil is preferred; in Lombardy, butter; in Emilia, they make the best lard—that is, it is very white, firm and possesses a delicate, comforting aroma of bay leaves. This explains why in this region an incredible number of young poultry is slaughtered to be fried in lard with tomatoes.

For meat fry in general, I prefer lard because I find it more delicate and flavorful than olive oil.