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Louisiana-Style Hot Skillet Fried Chicken

Ingredients

  • About 2 tablespoons kosher salt

  • About 2 tablespoons black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (a palmful)

  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (a palmful)

  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (a palmful)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic or garlic powder (half a palmful)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated onion (half a palmful)

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin (1/3 palmful)

  • 1 large, whole bone-in, skin-on, chicken breast, quartered

  • 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

  • 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs

  • Frying oil, such as peanut oil or canola oil

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 1 large egg

  • About 1 teaspoon Frank’s RedHot cayenne pepper sauce, plus some to pass at table

  • About 3 cups flour

  • 1 round tablespoon cornstarch

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • Honey, for drizzling

Directions

Combine the salt, pepper and dry spices. Sprinkle half the mix over the chicken pieces, then cover and chill overnight or several hours. Bring back to room temperature to cook. Heat an inch of oil in large cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat to 350°F. Whisk the buttermilk with egg. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper. Pour the flour into a shallow dish and mix with remaining spice blend, cornstarch and baking powder.

Coat four chicken pieces in buttermilk dressing and the flour mix, then fry 12 minutes, turning occasionally. Drain on a wire rack arranged over baking sheet while you fry second batch. Serve with hot sauce and honey for topping.