Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken

What's better than fried chicken?  Buttermilk Fried Chicken!!  Seriously, fried chicken is one of my "deserted island" foods, you know?  "If you only had one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?" Fried Chicken!

Anyway, the route to spectacular, crunchy, spicy, juicy southern fried chicken is easier than you think!  Let's do it:

You Will Need:

• 2 Cups Flour
• 2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 2 Tsp Salt
• 2 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 Tsp Chili Powder (I like Jalapeno Powder)
• 2 Tsp Creole Seasoning (Tony Chacheres)
• 8 Chicken Pieces
• Buttermilk

Ok, this dish does require a modest amount of planning.   The chicken needs to soak in the buttermilk for at LEAST four hours.  Just layer your chicken pieces into a big Tupperware vessel between generous glops of buttermilk.  Make sure they're completely covered with the buttermilk before you snap on the lid.  Gently rock it back and forth to ensure good coverage, and park it in the fridge for 4 - 24 hours so the milk can do its work!

When you're ready to fry, simply mix all of the dry ingredients into a gallon-sized zip-top bag and shake it up!  Leave this bag on the counter and go get your frying vessel.

100% of all GOOD fried chicken cooked in the south is done in either a cast-iron fry-pan or in an old fashioned electric skillet!  Why?  Good question!  The answer is HEAT.  Cast iron holds it, so your oil doesn't drop in temp when you load it up with the chicken.  Electric skillets are awesome because they have thermostats and they're "smart" enough to maintain heat on their own, with you having to monitor and adjust it during the cook.  Whichever your choice, add an inch of vegetable oil or Crisco shortening and load it up to 350 degrees.

When your oil is hot and you're ready to fry, grab a piece of chicken out of the buttermilk.  It should be goopy and slick with buttermilk!  Hold it over the Tupperware for a few seconds to allow the excess to drip off, then drop it into the bag and shake it until it's completely coated.  Pull it out of the bag and lay it on a plate.  Work in batches so that when you have three pieces coated, you can lay them into the hot oil in the pan!

When you have three pieces ready, lay them gently into the pan.  Set a timer for ten minutes, then shake up the next three pieces so that they'll be ready when the first three come off.  When the timer goes off, use a fork to flip the pieces over, and let them cook for seven more minutes.  Check the internal temperature of the chicken to make sure you've reached 165.

At 165 degrees, you can remove the chicken and allow it to drain on a rack.  Repeat with the next three pieces, etc.

TIPS:

• Work with a small "Frying Hen."  If the pieces are too big, you'll burn them before they ever reach an internal temperature of 165.  The ideal chicken to fry weighs 3.5lbs before it's cut. 
• This recipe worked perfectly for 8 modest sized skinless boneless chicken breasts 
• Before the buttermilk soak, you might want to use a mallet to gently pound out a large boneless breast so that it's about 1.5" in thickness.
  
• Don't crowd the pan!  Allow for the hot oil to easily reach all outer edges of the chicken
• Keep an eye on the temperature of the oil, don't let it cool down too much as you add new chicken pieces. 
• A side of your favorite hot sauce is an excellent choice!
  

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