Fried Chicken

I had never made fried chicken before. Let alone, chicken that had bone in it. I'd always used boneless. But this has opened my eyes! Such a difference when it comes to fried chicken. It is juice and awesome! This is from The Pioneer Woman's Cookbook. I've used this cookbook more than I should probably admit! But it is tasty! Enjoy!

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2 cut up fryer chickens
1 quart plus 1/4 c. buttermilk
5 c. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4 c. milk
Canola oil or vegetable oil for frying
Thoroughly rinse the chicken, then cover all the pieces with the quart of buttermilk and soak in the fridge overnight, or up to 24 hours. When you are ready to fry the chicken, set out on counter for 30 minutes to take the chill off.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and mix up the breading. Place the flour, seasoned salt, pepper, thyme, paprika, and cayenne. Stir together well. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 c. buttermilk and 1/4 c. regular milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and with a pastry cutter or fork, gradually mix until there are little lumps throughout. This will adhere to the chicken and make for a crispier breading. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat until a thermometer reaches 365 degrees. Lower the heat lightly, if necessary to keep the oil from getting hotter. Working in batches, thoroughly coat each buttermilk-soaked chicken piece with the breading, pressing extra breading onto the chicken if necessary.

Place the breaded pieces on a plate. Add the chicken to the oil 3-4 at a time. Make sure they aren't sticking together, then cover the pan and fry for 5-7 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the chicken isn't getting too brown. Turn the pieces over, cover again, and cook 3-5 minutes more. All the while, monitor the temperature of the oil to make sure the chicken doesn't burn. Keep in mind that we'll finish cooking the chicken in the oven, and it will continue to brown. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and continue frying the rest of the chicken. When all the chicken has been fried, bake the chicken for 15 minutes, to finish the cooking process. Check in the thickest part of the the chicken to see if it is done.