Oven Fried Chicken

 

If I were marooned on a desert island and had the choice of one unlimited supply of protein, I would choose chicken thighs.  The flavor of chicken thighs marries so well with any ingredient that it can invariably be cooked hundreds of ways without being similar to other dishes.  Chicken thighs absorb flavor beautifully and whenever I make a braised chicken dish, I use the thighs because the dish comes out beautifully.  This technique is not the classic way that fried chicken is made but it comes out nicely.

 

 

Oven Fried Chicken

8 pieces of chicken thighs, bone in

2 cups of Italian flavored breadcrumbs
3 small eggs
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.  Put 1 cup of butter flavored Crisco in a baking dish big enough to hold the chicken and put in oven to warm up while you prepare the chicken.  The pan should stay in the oven for at least 20 minutes or until the oil is bubbling.

Put the breadcrumbs in a pie plate (without holes).  Put the eggs in a pie plate (without holes).  Mix the spices with the egg mixture.  Dredge the chicken first in the egg mixture and then in the breadcrumbs.  Place on holding plate until the baking dish is ready.

Place the chicken skin side down in hot oil.  Salt lightly.  Place in oven and allow the first side to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove pan from oven, (leave the oven door open to let out a little heat) turn chicken over and put back in oven but reduce the temperature of the oven to 350F for the remainder of cooking time (at least 30 minutes). 

Remove chicken from fat and allow to drain for 10 minutes on a rack covered with brown paper.  Serve hot.