Recipe of the Week: Pan-Fried Chicken

i made pan-fried chicken.  hoo-ray for me!  it didn't suck.  hoo-ray for me!  i didn't destroy the kitchen.  hoo-ray for mindy!  so while mindy works on her dissertation i'll be filling in for recipe of the week.  i am typically resigned to the grill, as outside messes are easily cleanable with a hose.  but we bought a new wok and mindy let me break it in with a homemade version of one our hearty soul food favorites:  fried chicken and mashed potatoes.  hell yes, no healthy shit here.  this could stop a heart.  but you can eat it once in a while.  at least i used local ingredients.  i guess that makes it better.

Ingredients

*1lb of chicken breasts (legs or thighs will do too)

about 2 cups buttermilk

1.5 cups flour

1 cup panko ( or bread crumbs, or busted up corn flakes if you like popeye's style)

salt and pepper, taste
2 tbsp spices (be creative.  garlic powder.  jamaican jerk.  cajun spice.  italian spice.  perhaps a selective bunch of stuff from the spice cabinet)
oil (enough for pan frying, about 1/4-inch in the bottom of the pan)

Directions

Soak chicken pieces in buttermilk for at least 4-6 hours; preferably overnight.
Combine 1.5 cups of flour and and about 2 TBSP spices in a shallow plate.
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet until it begins to bubble.
Coat chicken in flour/panko/spice mixture.
Fry chicken for 10 minutes, turn and fry another 5 minutes, until chicken is crispy and golden brown.  Light brown is not good enough.  Wait for golden.

Serve with sides (we did mashed potatoes and simple blanched green beans).

green beans.  boiled for about 10 minutes then blanched to stop cooking.  still crispy and squeaky.

a shit load of mashed potatoes.  but i made a lot so i could make potato pancakes later in the week.

*i used skinless chicken.  i should have bought with skin.  it would have made the breading stick better and it would have been crispier.  and less healthy.  which can only make it better.