pat's Recipe

Fried Chicken

Category: Poultry

1 chicken, about 4 lb., cut into 10 serving pieces
6 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups buttermilk
6 cups canola oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
Rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

In a small bowl, combine 4 tsp. of the salt, 1 tsp. of the black pepper and the cayenne. Rub the mixture onto the chicken. Place in a large baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

Pour the buttermilk over the chicken, coating all the pieces. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In a 6-quart deep sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil to 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Preheat an oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Place the chicken in a colander and let the excess buttermilk drain off. In a bowl, combine the flour, the remaining 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. black pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess; set on a plate.

Place half of the chicken pieces in the oil and fry, turning often and maintaining the oil temperature at 325° to 350°F, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer to the paper towellined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Serves 4.