Oven-Fried Chicken the Barefoot Contessa Way

Submitted by Scoutie

"Ina does it again, this is simply delicious! This is a nice combo of frying and oven cooking. The key is the temperature of the oil and not to crowd the pan when frying. I add 1T. onion powder, 1T. garlic powder, 1tsp. cayenne & 1tsp. paprika to the flour & some Tabasco to the buttermilk. So I cut down on the salt and pepper, use your judgement. Instead of the bowl, I use a food-safe storage bag to shake the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour mixture, then let the chicken stand about 20 minutes after coating it in the flour. It is crunchy on the outside, and moist on the inside, so yummy!. This is adapted from Food Network, Paula Deen. Hope you enjoy!"

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 2 whole chickens, cut in 8 serving pieces (3 pounds each)
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• vegetable oil or vegetable shortening

directions

1. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the buttermilk over them. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper (and other spices if using) in a large bowl.
4. Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and coat each piece thoroughly with the flour mixture.
5. Pour the oil into a large heavy-bottomed stockpot to a depth of 1-inch and heat to 360 degrees F on a thermometer.
6. Working in batches, carefully place several pieces of chicken in the oil and fry for about 3 minutes on each side until the coating is a light golden brown (it will continue to brown in the oven). Don't crowd the pieces.
7. Remove the chicken from the oil and place each piece on a metal baking rack set on a sheet pan.
8. Allow the oil to return to 360 degrees F before frying the next batch.
9. When all the chicken is fried, bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Serve hot.
10. Prep time does not include the overnight bath in buttermilk.

Reviews

[WhoCaresWhoIAm]

This is a great basic recipe that works really well. For me, I prefer a spicier fried chicken, so I add Frank's Hot Sauce to the buttermilk. I add seasonings to the flour, garlic pepper, onion powder, paprika, sumac (no salt as the buttermilk takes care of that), chili powder, white or black pepper. Once I dredge and set on wire rack, I like to CAREFULLY REFRIGERATE for 20 minutes to allow the flour to adhere well. Carefully meaning that you can't allow uncooked chicken to touch things in the refrigerator please! Other than that, follow the directions from Ina and WINNER WINNER FRIED CHICKEN DINNER. I do serve it with honey for dipping. HINT: Use a brown paper bag for shaking the chicken pieces, less mess and works perfectly.