One of the most iconic of American foods, fried chicken holds a place of honor on our dinner tables and our picnic baskets. Enjoy it as part of a summer feast, along with tomato salad and peach cobbler, or at a picnic with cold fried chicken, macaroni salad, and iced tea -- or savor it any time of year with buttermilk biscuits, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

Marinate chicken pieces in buttermilk, kosher salt, and Tabasco sauce to make the meat meltingly tender and tasty. Fry the chicken in a combination of shortening and bacon drippings for perfectly crisp skin.

Brine chicken overnight and then marinate it in buttermilk to make this iconic dish. Strips of country ham in the cooking fat infuse every bite of chicken with true Southern flavor. This recipe is from "The Gift of Southern Cooking" by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock.

Buttermilk and cayenne pepper make an easy marinade that produces moist, flavorful chicken. This is one of Martha's favorite fried-chicken recipes.

It's actually baked, not fried, but this breadcrumb-coated chicken still has plenty of flavor and crunch. Cook it on a wire rack so the bottoms of the chicken pieces don't get soggy.

Marinate in buttermilk for up to two days for the moistest, most tender chicken you've ever had. A generous dose of cayenne pepper in the marinade adds a nice kick.

Thick buttermilk batter creates an extra-crisp coating on this brined fried chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with sea salt and drizzle it with honey just before serving for an exhilarating contrast in flavors.

It may be a Southern icon, but Northerners love their fried chicken too! This version gets crunch and punch from a matzo meal coating and a seasoning mix made with hot paprika and cayenne pepper. This recipe is from restaurateurs Bruce and Eric Bromberg's "Blue Ribbon Cookbook."

Freshly ground pepper and a pinch of cinnamon add a hint of heat to the coating on this chicken. The secret to making the chicken crisp, not greasy, is to not overcrowd the pan, so the oil stays hot.

Creole seasoning and an entire head of crushed garlic flavor the buttermilk marinade for this chicken. This recipe is from Emeril Lagasse's cookbook "Emeril's Potluck."

A double dose of fresh rosemary -- in the coating and in the frying oil -- give this chicken a seductive aroma. Finish cooking the chicken in the oven to ensure perfect doneness.

Molasses, thyme, and bay leaves in the brine give the meat a rich depth. Cornmeal batter makes this fried chicken supremely crisp.

You can make delicious fried chicken without standing over a hot stove! Beaten eggs, tabasco, sliced onion, and garlic serve as marinade and coating all in one, and a dusting of cornmeal adds crunch.

Marinated chicken is coated in beaten eggs and breadcrumbs, then fried in just an inch of hot oil. This out-of-the-ordinary recipe comes from the cookbook "Lucinda's Authentic Jamaican Kitchen" by Lucinda Scala Quinn.

A sweet, salty, and spicy brine makes chicken wonderully flavorful and moist. This recipe is from Carolyn Bane and Erika Geldzahler, co-owners of the beloved Brooklyn restaurant Pies 'n' Thighs.

To produce crisp skin and a perfectly cooked, juicy interior, fry these chicken thighs over low, steady heat. A salad of perfectly ripe tomatoes and parsley dressed in red-wine vinegar makes a tasty accompaniment.