Oven-fried chicken

When I think of the ultimate comfort food, my mind conjures up images of several things; macaroni and cheese, ice cream, and of course fried chicken.

Although I'm not a huge fan of fried food by any means, there's just something about fried chicken that I love. Perhaps, it's the crispiness of the outer layer, the juiciness of the meat, or the flavorful spices that bring the whole meal together. Either way, it just screams good home cooking to me.

I'm going to warn you, this probably isn't the healthiest meal in the book. Definitely doesn't have the fewest calories. And your house will be fragrant with that obnoxious fried food smell...But....at least you'll have made a deliciously easy home-cooked meal that tastes better than the bucket. of chicken. ;) Enjoy!

Oven-fried chicken:

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Oven fried chicken

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 4-6 split chicken breasts (or drumsticks, what I would've preferred)
• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbs sea salt
• 1 Tbs pepper
• 1 Tbs garlic powder
• vegetable oil

In a large bowl, add the chicken breasts and cover with the buttermilk. Refrigerate covered overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large enough bowl to coat the chicken in. Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat with about an inch of vegetable oil. Let the oil reach 360 degrees. Coat the chicken pieces with the flour mixture and when the oil is hot enough, carefully add the chicken to the stockpot, being sure not to crowd the pieces. Fry 3 minutes on each side and then transfer to a metal baking rack fitted inside a baking sheet. Continue doing this until all the chicken is fried on both sides. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked throughout. Enjoy!