Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Total Time: 48 hrs 12 mins Preparation Time: 24 hrs Cook Time: 24 hrs 12 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 3
• 1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces (you want the skin on, trust me, and if you buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself you save a bun)
• 2 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons hungarian paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup flour, for dredging
• vegetable shortening, for frying

Recipe

• 1 place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk.
• 2 cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours .
• 3 drain chicken in a colander.
• 4 combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
• 5 liberally season chicken with this mixture.
• 6 then, dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess (by seasoning before you flour, you trap the seasoning under the flour coating, and you use a lot less seasoning than if you tried to put it in the flour and hope it catches on the chicken).
• 7 melt enough shortening (over low heat) to come just 1/8-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan.
• 8 once shortening liquefies raise heat to 325 degrees f.
• 9 do not allow oil to go over 325 degrees f.
• 10 place chicken skin side down into the pan.
• 11 put thighs in the center (they take longer to cook and can use the extra center heat), and breast and legs around the edge of the pan.
• 12 the oil should come half way up the pan once the chicken is added.
• 13 cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10-12 minutes per side.
• 14 the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees.
• 15 (be careful to monitor shortening temperature every few minutes).
• 16 drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan, not on paper towels or brown paper bags which just cause the chicken to soak in their own oil.
• 17 if you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven, especially if it?.
• 18 s a gas oven, which is very moist and will ruin your beautiful chicken crust!