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1
Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl, and add the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the thyme, and 4 of the garlic cloves.
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2
Marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature or, refrigerated, overnight.
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3
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and set a baking sheet fitted with a rack on the middle shelf.
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4
Meanwhile, prepare the chicken coating: Combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, the ground crackers, 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the paprika in a large bowl.
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5
One at a time, take the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and dunk them in the flour dredge, pressing hard to make the coating adhere to every spot.
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6
Set aside on a plate.
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7
In a large, high-sided cast-iron pan, add lard or oil to a depth of 1 inch.
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8
Heat over medium-high heat until a droplet of water sprinkled on the surface sizzles loudly.
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9
Give the chicken pieces a fresh roll in the flour mixture if they've absorbed it, and add as many pieces of the dark meat (thighs, wings, and drumsticks) as will fit comfortably in the pan.
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10
Fry, turning as needed, until all sides turn dark golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
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11
Transfer the cooked chicken to the baking sheet in the oven.
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12
Continue frying the rest, saving the white breast meat until last, and being careful not to burn the residue forming at the bottom the pan; that's your gravy base.
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13
When it is browned, add the chicken to the baking sheet.
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14
(Ideally the dark meat should bake in the oven for about 20 minutes and the light meat for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.)
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15
Pour off most of the fat in the pan, leaving 2 tablespoons of oil and the brown sludge at the bottom of the pan.
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16
(But if any of it looks burnt, discard that as well, because that is the base of your gravy.)
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17
Let the pan cool down for a minute.
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18
Then add the remaining 3 garlic cloves and the sage, and fry for 1 minute.
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19
Add the remaining 5 teaspoons flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture is smooth and light brown, about 2 minutes.
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20
Add the stock and whisk until smooth.
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21
Cook the gravy over low heat until it thickens softly, about 5 minutes.
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22
Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste, remove the garlic and sage, and pour it into a spouted pitcher to pass behind the hot chicken and the mashed potatoes.
