Fried Chicken
1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces or drumsticks
2 cups low fat buttermilk (optional)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Flour, for dredging
Vegetable oil or shortening, for frying
Place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. (optional)
Place oil/shortening in electric frying pan so when liquid it will come up the side of the pan by about 1/8 inch. Find the setting that will hold the temperature at 325F. Use infrared or probe thermometer to verify.
Drain chicken in a colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
If using drumsticks add all at once to pan. If using whole chicken place skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side. More importantly, the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees. It is difficult to overcook so err on the side of not-raw.
Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan. Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags. If you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven, especially if it's a gas oven.
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