Buttermilk Fried Chicken

This is a delicious way to make an old favorite.  Baking it in the oven after you get a crispy coating on the stove top in oil makes all of the difference.



Buttermilk Fried Chicken:

Ina Garten 2002 and Martha Stewart

1 whole chicken, cut up into serving pieces (wings, thighs, drumsticks and breast pieces)

1 quart of buttermilk

3 teaspoons cayenne pepper or hot sauce of your choice (we use Frank's Red Hot Original)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable Oil

 

Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour buttermilk over them.  Stir in cayenne pepper or hot sauce.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat vegetable oil in large heavy-bottomed stockpot or cast-iron skillet to a depth of 1 inch.  Heat to 360 degrees.

Whisk together flour, salt, and pepper in large bowl.  Take chicken out of the buttermilk and allow excess to drip off.  Dredge in flour mixture until each piece is thoroughly coated.

Carefully add several pieces of chicken into the oil without overcrowding and fry for about 3 minutes per side until the coating is a light golden brown (it will continue to brown in the oven.)  Remove chicken from oil and place on a metal baking rack set on a sheet pan.  When all of the chicken is fried, bake 30-40 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink inside.  Serve Hot.