Good Ol' Fried Chicken

We had some friends over the other day and the plan was, I was going to make fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Our friends were bringing some fresh corn and field peas or black eyed peas. YUMMMMMM! This post is about the fried chicken. It's a messy process and it IS a process... but the result was the best homemade fried chicken I've had. Our friend made a funny comment. "I have NEVER seen someone fry chicken... it's always just appeared." Ok, now for what you've been waiting for.
From My Kitchen to Yours, Good Eats!

Ingredients

* 1 quart buttermilk, plus 2 cups
* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
* 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
* 2 teaspoons hot sauce
* 6 chicken thighs
* 4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon garlic powder
* 1 tablespoon onion powder
* 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
* vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Directions

In a large bowl or baking dish, whisk together 1 quart of the buttermilk, 2 tablespoons salt, 2 teaspoons of hot sauce, and a little bit of pepper, if desired. Add the chicken pieces, turn to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Place the remaining 2 cups of buttermilk in a bowl. Stir together the flour, garlic and onion powders, paprika, and 2 teaspoons chile de arbol powder (or cayenne) in a large bowl. Divide flour mixture among 2 shallow platters and season generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces a few at a time in the flour mixture and pat off excess, then dip in the buttermilk and allow excess to drain off. Dredge in the second plate of flour and pat off the excess.

Pour about 3 inches of oil into a deep cast iron skillet; the oil should not come more than halfway up the sides of the pot. Put the pot over medium-high heat and heat the oil to 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, add the chicken pieces to the hot oil, 3 or 4 at a time and fry, turning the pieces occasionally, until evenly golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to a rack to drain; repeat to cook the remaining pieces. Serve hot