Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Fried chicken....what more is there to say?

Servings:  4-6

Hardware:  2 large plastic Ziploc bags, glass dish, a large heavy skillet with a lid (I use cast iron), thermometer, tongs, a baking sheet, a cooling rack (or paper towels)

Time: Prep-10 minutes, Marinate: 2 to 24 hours, Cook-20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce (I prefer Louisiana Hot Sauce)
• 1 fryer chicken cut into serving pieces (the butcher will do this for you if you ask)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground thyme
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying 

1. Mix the buttermilk and the hot sauce in a plastic Ziploc bag. Put the chicken in the Ziploc.  Try to squeeze all of the air from the bag and seal it up.  Place that in the fridge.  (I always put this in a glass dish, bag and all, because sometimes those zippers unzip.)  Marinate from 2-24 hours, turning the bag over every once in a while.  Remove the whole dish from the fridge about ½ hour before cooking to allow the chicken to warm up.  This will allow the chicken to cook evenly.
2. Combine the flour and all the other ingredients except the oil in the other plastic bag.  Shake this like crazy to mix.
3. Place the cooling rack over the baking sheet.  If you don’t have a cooling rack, just line the baking sheet with paper towels.  Set aside.
4. Put enough oil in the pan to fill it about half way up.  Pre-heat the oil until it is 350°.  This step is very important to keep the chicken from absorbing too much oil and becoming greasy.  You will want to adjust the temperature while cooking so the oil stays between 300° to 400°.   
5. Drain the chicken and discard the buttermilk marinade.
6. Place each piece of chicken in the flour Ziploc and shake to coat.
7. Place the chicken, skin side down, in a single layer in the hot oil.  Do not crowd the chicken.  You may need to cook in batches.
8. Cover the chicken and do not turn for at least 5 minutes.
9. Turn the chicken and cook until it is a crispy golden brown.  Cooking time depends upon the piece and the size.  Dark meat (thighs, legs, etc) takes longer to cook than white meat (breasts).  White meat will take at least 10-15 minutes and dark will take at least 15, maybe 20.  To make sure your chicken is done, cut into the thickest part, the juices that run out should be clear and the meat should be completely opaque and have no hint of pink.
10. As the chicken finishes, place it on the cooling rack to drain.  You can place the baking sheet in the oven on the lowest setting to keep the chicken warm.
11. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and serve warm. 

Take this to a picnic with Mactastic Macaroni Salad.  Yum!