Name: Fried Chicken for Two
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Ingredients: 4 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs , trimmed, or 2 (10- to 12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and halved crosswise; Salt and pepper; 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/2 cup buttermilk; 1 1/2 cups peanut or vegetable oil

Why This Recipe Works

When you’re frying chicken for a crowd, it’s easy to overlook the copious amounts of oil necessary to achieve juicy, tender meat and a supercrispy coating. Not so when you’re cooking for two. To scale things down to size, we transfer the operation from a Dutch oven to a 10-inch skillet that uses 1½ cups (rather than 2 to 3 quarts) of oil and flip the chicken pieces during cooking to ensure even browning. We cover the skillet for the first few minutes to make sure the chicken cooks through and then uncover it to let the crust dry. Since batters tended to stick to the bottom of the pan with this shallow-fry method, we opt instead for a seasoned flour blend and a brief buttermilk soak. Mixing some buttermilk into the flour blend creates shaggy shards of coating that fry into an extra-crunchy crust.

Before You Begin

We prefer the flavor of buttermilk in this recipe, but half-and-half also works well. Do not substitute regular milk. This recipe was engineered to work with a 10-inch skillet; if you use a skillet of a different size, you will need to adjust the amount of oil.

Instructions

Season chicken with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder, thyme, cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in shallow dish. Add 2 tablespoons buttermilk to flour mixture and rub together with your fingers until liquid is incorporated and shaggy pieces form. Place remaining 6 tablespoons buttermilk in second shallow dish.

Set wire rack inside rimmed baking sheet. Working with 1 piece at a time, dip chicken in buttermilk to thoroughly coat, letting excess drip back into dish; then dredge chicken in flour mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer chicken to prepared wire rack. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Line large plate with paper towels. Add oil to 10-inch skillet until it measures about 1/2 inch deep and heat over medium heat to 350 degrees. Add chicken to hot oil, skin side down. Cover and fry until deep golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes, checking for even browning and rearranging pieces as needed halfway through frying. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature around 300 degrees.

Turn chicken pieces over and continue to fry, uncovered, until chicken is deep golden brown on second side and thighs register 175 degrees or breasts register 160 degrees, 6 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to prepared plate and let cool for 5 minutes, flipping once to evenly blot away oil. Serve.