Fried Chicken
/Everyone loves fried chicken. To lower the calorie count, I prefer cooking mine in two stages: Fry the chicken ahead of time and reserve, then bake just before serving. I serve it with banana chutney, oven-baked French fries and salad.
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
- 2 chicken legs, bone in, skin on
- 2 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on, halved
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Pinch cayenne
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
Method
Place buttermilk in a large bowl and add chicken thighs, legs and breasts. Leave to marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Drain. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Combine flour, paprika, thyme, coarsely ground pepper, salt and cayenne in a resealable plastic bag. Working in batches, add chicken, seal bag and toss with flour mixture until chicken is lightly coated. Shake off any excess flour.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken a few pieces at a time, being careful not to crowd the pan, and fry until golden (about 2 to 3 minutes per side, 6 or so minutes total). Place chicken on a baking sheet and bake until juices run clear (about 15 to 20 minutes for breasts, 20 to 25 minutes for legs and thighs). Serves 4.