Classic Buttermilk Fried Chicken

I’m so excited to be talking with Missy Maki on her radio show Simple Kitchen this Sunday.  Chicken is our big topic, so I hope you’ll tune in and get some fresh ideas.  KPAM 860 AM at 9:00 or listen live at www.kpam.com.

• 1 whole frying chicken, cut up into 10 pieces (breasts on bone, cut in half)
• 1 qt. buttermilk
• salt and pepper
• 2 C. flour
• 1  T. paprika, not smoked
• 2 t. garlic powder
• lots of oil, I used peanut

Rinse and dry your chicken pieces.  Sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper.  Place them into a bowl and pour the buttermilk over them.  Cover and refrigerate two hours or overnight- the longer the better.  Combine the flour, paprika, more salt and pepper, and garlic powder and place in a shallow bowl.  Heat the oil in a deep skillet or fryer to 350 degrees.  You should have at least two inches of oil.  Using tongs, remove the chicken pieces one at a time and let the excess buttermilk drip off.  Roll quickly in the flour, then dip back into the buttermilk.  Roll one more time in the flour, making sure to coat completely and tap off any excess flour.  This double dipping creates a great crunchy coating on your chicken.  Drop the pieces into the hot oil and fry for fourteen-fifteen minutes, turning once.  Remove the chicken to a rack set over paper towels and hit them with more salt.  You will have to fry in batches so that the oil temperature doesn’t drop.  I found that tenting the chicken with foil kept it plenty hot until we were ready to eat.