Recipes:
# Cornmeal Fried Chicken
## INGREDIENTS
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (4 ounces each)
1/2 cup buttermilk
SERVES 4
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## Make Ahead
Double the recipe to have extra fried chicken on hand for a cold picnic lunch. Wrap chicken in paper towels, then loosely in foil to keep it crispy and not soggy.
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## VARIATION
Spice up this never-fail traditional recipe by adding 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper to the batter in step 2.
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### 1
Pour 1/4 inch of oil into a large heavy skillet. Heat over medium-high heat to 350°F or until a cube of white bread dropped in oil browns evenly in 1 minute.
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### 2
Combine cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper in shallow dish; mix well. Dip chicken in buttermilk, turning to coat.
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### 3
Roll chicken in cornmeal mixture, coating evenly. Place in hot oil. Do not allow pieces to touch.
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### 4
Fry chicken, turning several times, for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on a wire rack. Serve immediately.
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## Make It Quicker
• Save on cleanup time by draining chicken on a wire rack lined with paper towels. Also, spread paper towels underneath the rack to catch drips.
• If you rarely use fresh buttermilk, keep dried buttermilk powder on hand. It will take 1/8 cup dried buttermilk plus 1/2 cup water to yield the 1/2 cup buttermilk needed for this recipe.
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