Buttermilk Oven-Fried Chicken

This one is for my husband. He absolutely LOVES this spicy, buttermilk-marinated, psuedo-fried, crisp-tender, chicken. The buttermilk lends flavor and tenderizes the meat. The flour is perfectly seasoned to create a flavorful, crisp, crust that is true to the texture and flavor of real fried chicken-- minus all that grease! If too spicy, alter the amount of red and white pepper to your preference.



I usually make a bunch of legs for my husband and girls (their preference) and a boneless chicken breast for me. Boneless thighs or any bone-in meat would also work well, just be sure to remove the skin. If cooking boneless chicken breast, pound it to a 1/2 inch thick, and split it into two pieces if it is too large. This will ensure even and tender cooking. Watch it closely in the oven, any boneless pieces (especially white meat) will cook faster and will dry out if left in too long. You may need to remove them from the oven before your bone-in chicken is done.

Try serving this with my husband's favorite: rosemary roasted red potatoes and fresh steamed swish chard. Or serve it with some chive-mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and a large green salad.

Tip: To skin chicken legs, hold on to the meaty end of the leg with one hand. With your other hand, grab the skin with a dry papertowel. The paper towel will adhere to the skin, making it much easier to pull it right off of the leg (A trick I learned from my mom=). Be sure to wash your hands well and sanitize any working area where you used raw chicken.

Buttermilk Oven-Fried Chicken

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 chicken breast(about 1 pound), skinned
2 chicken drumsticks (about 1/2 pound), skinned
2 chicken thighs (about 1/2 pound), skinned
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4-1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 tsp paprika

Cooking spray

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine flour, salt, peppers, cumin, and paprika in a second large zip-top plastic bag. Remove chicken from first bag, discarding marinade. Add chicken, one piece at a time, to flour mixture, shaking bag to coat chicken. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour; lightly coat each chicken piece with cooking spray. Return chicken, one piece at a time, to flour mixture, shaking bag to coat chicken. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour.

Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 35 minutes or until done, turning after 20 minutes.