Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
1 broiler-fryer chicken (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), cut up
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
cooking oil

Place chicken in a large flat dish. Pour buttermilk over; refrigerate 1 hour. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a double-strength paper bag. Drain chicken; toss pieces, one at a time, in flour mixture. Shake off excess; place on waxed paper for 15 minutes.

Heat 1/8 to 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet; fry chicken until browned on all sides.

Cover and simmer, turning occasionally, for 40-45 minutes, or until juices run clear. Uncover and cook 5 minutes longer.

**For gravy:
After you cook the chicken for the 5 minutes, remove and keep warm. Drain all but 1/4 cup drippings; stir in 3 tablespoons flour until bubbly. Add 1 cup milk and 1 1/2 cups water; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook 1 minute more. Add more water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and serve with chicken.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I didn't refrigerate the chicken in buttermilk. I put my own twist of buttermilk (1 Tablespoon of lemon juice and fill up the rest of the cup with milk) in a bowl and just dipped the chicken before shaking it in the flour mixture. I also put it right in the skillet rather than laying it out for 15 minutes. I didn't make the gravy so I can't vouch for it.

What I'll do differently next time:
I really liked how simple this recipe was, but I like my chicken crunchier. Maybe next time I will dip the chicken in milk, then flour, then milk, and flour again, or crush some crackers or Frosted Flakes in there to make it a bit crunchier. Maybe that's why you're supposed to let it sit for 15 minutes? I don't know.

Verdict:
Thumbs up. I just thought it was okay but Stephen really liked it which means it's a keeper! It was definitely good, I just happen to prefer KFC.