Finally! Fried Chicken

I love fried chicken.  My kids love fried chicken.  Even my husband eats fried chicken.  Ever since I've been in the mommy business, I've tried to recreate my Aunt Tommy's fried chicken without success.  I could go into details (including a particularly horrifying kids' birthday party where I served raw-ish chicken) but I won't.  Perhaps it was the memory of that fiasco so long ago that made my mother give me this recipe.  She volunteers at the local library and found it in an old Cooks Illustrated.  I made it within 48 hours -- and it was delicious.  I want to shout from the rooftops, I CAN make fried chicken.  It was so good that my husband ate leftovers for lunch.  Leftovers!  He ate leftovers!  Okay, so here's the recipe, this is obviously a make again.

Easier Fried Chicken
Cooks Illustrated Sept/Oct 2010

1 1/4 c. buttermilk
Table salt
Dash hot sauce
3 t. ground black pepper
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. paprika
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
Chicken
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1 3/4 c. vegetable oil

1. Whisk 1 c. buttermilk, t T. salt, hot sauce, 1 t. black pepper, 1/4 t. garlic powder, 1/4 t. paprika, and a pinch of cayenne together in large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, 1 t. salt, and remaining 2 t. black pepper, 3/4 t. garlic powder, 3/4 t. paprika, and remaining cayenne together in large bowl.  Add remaining 1/4 c. buttermilk to flour mixture and mix with fingers until combined and small clumps form. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, pressing mix onto pices to form thick coating.  Place dredged chicken on a large plate, skin side up.
3. Heat oil in 11-inch straight sided saute pan over medium heat to 375 degrees. Carefully place chicken pieces in pan, skin side down, and cook until golden brown (3 to 5 minutes). Carefully flip and continue to cook until golden brown on second side, 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet (NOTE: Next time I'm going to line the pan with foil).  Bake chicken for 15 to 20 minutes, until 160 degrees.  Let chicken rest at least 5 minutes before serving.
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