Buttermilk Fried Chicken

These days you may pass on fried foods, but I decided that a little fried chicken would not hurt.

I used grape seed oil which is a lower smoking oil and leaves food less greasy in taste and texture. Soaking the meat in buttermilk and spices for 8 hours makes for juicy tender chicken on the outside, and a flour and spice coating gives a perfect crunch to the outside.

One frying chicken cut into pieces- You can purchase pre cut pieces of chicken with the skin on or cut up your own. Wash and place in a glass 9x13 pan.

Buttermilk marinade

-3 cups buttermilk

-1/2 onion, chopped into 4 large pieces

-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tbsp dried)

-1 tsp cayenne pepper

-1 tsp paprika

-1 tsp tarragon

-1 tsp garlic powder

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp pepper

Stir ingredients together and pour over washed chicken, making sure the meatiest parts of the chicken are soaking in the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours.

Flour coating:

-2 cups flour

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp pepper

-1 tsp paprika

-2 heaping tbsp Shake 'N Bake (I used original)

Place ingredients in a large zip lock bag or seal able container and shake together well.

Drain chicken in a colander leaving the excess spices on the meat, but remove the onions.

Place all wet chicken pieces into the flour bag and shack well, until the pieces are heavily coated.

To fry: it is important that you always stay close to the stove top when heating oil. Keep a lid handy just in case a fire starts. This will probably never happen, but if it does....smother the flames with the lid!

Have a plate with a cooling rack over it ready to remove the fried chicken to. Any grease will drip through that way and the pieces will stay crunchy.

I used 4 cups of grape seed oil, as it does not smoke and also is a very light and less greasy tasting oil. You can also use Canola oil.

Using a heavy pot heat oil over medium heat. It is ready for frying when you drop a pinch of flour into it and it sizzles and browns.

Using tongs, place 4 pieces of chicken at a time in the oil. I fried the same size pieces at the same time as the smaller wings and drumsticks fried faster than the larger pieces. Let them fry (stay close) for 12-15 minutes, and then turn over and fry another 8-10 minutes. Watch the meat and adjust the heat so that the chicken is sizzling in the oil. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Keep chicken warm in oven, until all pieces are fried.

Serving suggestion- pasta, spinach Mandarin salad, homemade buttermilk biscuits.