Fried Chicken & White Gravy

Ingredients

8 pieces chicken (can use a whole chicken cut into 8 pieces, or 4 large chicken breasts, cut in half)

36 ounces vegetable oil

3 cups all purpose flour

½ cup corn starch

1 Tablespoon baking powder

2 cups whole buttermilk

2 large eggs, beaten

1 Tablespoon salt (or salt to taste)

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

6 shakes hot sauce

White gravy

¼ cup drippings from where you fried your chicken (can use ¼ cup vegetable oil)

¼ cup all purpose flour

2 ½ cups whole milk (heated, but not boiled)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions for frying chicken

Wash chicken, cut any excess fat off; pat dry.  Add buttermilk & hot sauce in large Ziplock bag. Place in large mixing bowl.   Add chicken, close Ziplock bag, refrigerate and let set overnight. 

Add oil to large heavy pot, or deep heavy skillet.  Heat to about 300 – 310 degrees.  While oil is heating, add flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne, corn starch, baking powder, smoked paprika &  garlic powder to large shallow baking dish.  Whisk together.  In another pan, or dish, beat eggs with electric mixer.  Remove chicken from buttermilk and add 3 pieces at a time to flour dish, making sure all sides of chicken pieces are coated good.  Dip into beaten egg.  Coat the second time with flour; place on rack to “dry” out.  Repeat until all chicken is coated and “drying” on rack.  When oil is ready, drop pieces into hot oil and cook until internal temp of chicken reaches at least 165 degrees.  Check for doneness with knife.  There should be no pink inside the chicken.  Remove from oil and place on rack to drain. 

To make the gravy

Add drippings from the fried chicken to large skillet, or if you’re using vegetable oil, add that.  Place milk in boiler and heat but don’t boil.  As the oil or drippings in your skillet is heating, add salt and black pepper.  Cook for a couple minutes; then add flour.  Using a whisk to incorporate the flour into the drippings or oil, cook flour until light brown, about 4/5 minutes, depending on how high you have the burner on.  (note: it will burn fast, so don’t walk off and leave it).  Add hot milk and whisk vigorously until gravy is smooth.  It will thick as it cooks.  You may want to have a little extra hot milk to get the right consistency.  Taste to see if you need to add more salt or black pepper.  Serve with hot fried chicken.