Spicy Southern Fried Chicken

This is a great recipe for "spicing-up" your fried chicken. The chicken gets a kick from marinating it in Tabasco sauce. But don't worry, the spicy-heat is just enough to give the chicken a great flavor and not over-power the taste. This recipe came from Williams-Sonoma Kitchens.

• Ready In: 24 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  roasting chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 2  teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional to add for seasoning
• 1  teaspoon fresh ground pepper, plus additional to add for seasoning
• 2  cups buttermilk
• 1 -2  tablespoon Tabasco sauce
• 6  cups canola oil
• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. Rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a large baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
2. In a bowl, combine the buttermilk and Tabasco sauce and pour over the chicken, coating all the pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Place the chicken in a colander and let the excess buttermilk drain off. Reserve the buttermilk, if desired, for dipping the chicken a second time.
4. In a deep cast-iron fry pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil to 350 degrees. Preheat an oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
5. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, the 2 teaspoons salt, the 1 teaspoon pepper and the paprika. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. (For a crispier coating, dip the chicken into the reserved buttermilk and flour a second time.).
6. Place half of the chicken in the oil and fry, turning often and maintaining the oil temperature at 325 degrees until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining chicken.