Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

1 (2 1/2-pounds) fryer chicken, cut into 10 pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 quart buttermilk

2 tablespoons hot sauce

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Peanut oil, for frying

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cayenne

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in a casserole dish. In a nonreactive bowl, mix buttermilk, hot sauce and cayenne. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the chicken, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Into a large paper bag, measure the flour, cayenne, garlic powder, paprika, and salt and pepper. Shake off excess buttermilk mixture and place the chicken, a few pieces at a time, into the bake and shake to dredge.

Place the chicken into the hot oil and fry until golden and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes for white meat and 13 to 15 for dark meat. Remove from the fryer onto a paper towel lined sheet tray and season with salt and pepper.