The first secret to making the best fried chicken is brining. Brining for at least four hours makes your chicken moist and more flavorful. To make the brine, add the water, honey, 1/3 cup of salt, garlic and two teaspoons of thyme and mix well.

Place the chicken in the bowl then transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and allow it to sit for at least four hours or overnight.

In a separate bowl, combine the dried mustard, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon of thyme, 1 tablespoon of salt and black pepper.

Next add the smoked paprika, oregano, onion powder and white pepper. Mix until well combined then set it aside until later.

The second secret to making the best fried chicken is substituting 1/4 of the all-purpose flour with cornstarch. Using cornstarch will leave the chicken light but super crunchy.

In a shallow dish, combine the flour, cornstarch and 4-1/2 tablespoons of the seasoning mixture then mix well.

After at least four hours, remove the chicken from the refrigerator.

In a bowl, place the chicken with one and a half tablespoons of your seasoning mixture. Make sure to generously coat each piece.

Next coat the chicken with the seasoned flour then place them on a wire rack.

The third secret to the perfect fried chicken is using a heavy cast iron skillet. Using a cast iron skillet will distribute the heat and allow the chicken to cook more evenly.

My fourth secret is using an oil with a high smoke point such as vegetable shortening. Although this is not the healthiest choice it will result in a great taste and beautiful color.

have one more secret to share but I'll get to that in a moment. Add the shortening to the cast iron skillet then bring the temperature to 350 degrees.

Fry the chicken until it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

My last secret is after the chicken is done, allow it to rest on a clean wire rack for six minutes before serving. This will result in an even temperature and an extra crispy crust.