Buttermilk Country Fried Chicken

The secret to this juicy and tender fried chicken lies in the simple buttermilk marinade. The crisp crust has a delicious hint of thyme.

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1garlic clove, minced

Chicken

• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
• 3/4c up all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Oil for frying

Instructions

1. Place chicken pieces in a large resealable food storage bag. Add all marinade ingredients and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight to marinate.
2. In pie pan, mix flour and all remaining chicken ingredients except oil. Heat about 1/2 inch oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Remove chicken pieces from marinade a few at a time, allowing excess to drip off. Roll chicken in flour mixture until well coated. Add chicken to hot oil in skillet, a few pieces at a time until all pieces are in skillet. Cover; cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until deep golden brown. Discard marinade.
4. Uncover skillet. Turn chicken; cook 5 to 8 minutes longer or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs). Drain chicken on several layers of paper towels. Serve warm, or refrigerate and serve cold.

This article and recipe adapted from this site