Southern Fried Chicken

When I have a really good fried chicken dinner like we had tonight, I daydream that my grandmother is really Paula Deen and that every Sunday afternoon we enjoy her Southern comfort food. Luckily for our cholesterol levels, she is not. In reality, we do not actually eat this greasy of food every day, so when we splurge, we can really appreciate it. This recipe is Art Smith's and he knows how to make extra crispy chicken that is unbelievably moist. (Buttermilk is the key!) I love this chicken when it is hot out of the fry pan and when it is cold the next day.
Fried Chicken
3 1/2 lb chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. salt
vegetable oil for frying
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
In a large bowl, pour buttermilk over chicken and sprinkle with salt. Toss until chicken is well coated - cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Heat 1" of vegetable oil in a large deep skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 360 degrees. In a shallow dish, mix flour and seasonings. Using tongs, remove chicken from buttermilk and dip into flour mixture. Shake off excess flour and place in hot oil. Turn chicken occasionally until golden brown and cooked through. Chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 F. Drain chicken on paper towels.
Note: Smaller pieces of chicken work best for frying. When I made this, the larger chicken breasts and thighs needed additional baking at 375 (about 15 minutes) in the oven to get to the right temperature. This could have also been because my oil was a bit too hot.
Recipe from Art Smith, featured in April 2010 Food Network Magazine.
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