Southern-Style Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 kg chicken  pieces
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 5 cups vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Whisk together buttermilk, mustard, salt and pepper, and cayenne in a bowl, and pour into a bowl. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours.
2. When you are ready to cook the chicken, combine the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and onion powder in the other plastic bag. Shake to mix thoroughly. Transfer one marinated chicken piece at a time into the dry ingredient bag, and shake well to ensure complete coverage. After all chicken pieces are coated; optional: repeat the process by dipping them in the buttermilk marinade and shaking in the dry coating again.
3. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, making sure not to burn the oil. you can test to see if the oil is ready this way: Place a wooden spoon into the oil. If tiny bubbles form around the spoon within seconds of it being submerged, the oil is ready. If the bubbles are violent, it’s too hot. Turn down the heat and try again in 5-10 mins.
4. Once the oil is ready, carefully place 3-4 pieces into the oil and fry for 12 minutes, flipping the pieces over halfway fry chicken in batches until golden brown and juices run clear, turning chicken to brown evenly.