In order to have good fried chicken, you should wash and season the bird the morning you’re preparing it for dinner. Don’t wait and do it right before you start cooking. Throw it in the refrigerator, seasoned, that morning, and give it a chance to soak up all the salt and pepper and goodness.

Deen’s advice frames fried chicken less as a last-minute fry-up than as a process that begins with advance seasoning. The key idea is time: salting and peppering early lets the seasoning penetrate and equilibrate, improving flavor throughout the meat rather than only on the crust. Refrigeration functions as a controlled resting period—both for food safety and for a mild dry-brine effect—so the chicken “soaks up” seasoning and cooks up more savory and consistent. The quote also reflects a broader Southern home-cooking ethos: patience, preparation, and simple pantry seasonings used well can elevate a familiar comfort food.