Chicken-Fearless 'fried'

By tunes

Moist with a complex taste reminiscent of Cajun seasonings, this oven-baked chicken will make you want to give up the high-fat fried variety, which seems dull in comparison

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in chicken breast halves or legs
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup ( 125 mL) buttermilk
• 1/2 cup ( 125 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ( 5 mL) baking powder
• 1 tsp ( 5 mL) each of paprika, dried leaf thyme, oregano and salt
• 1/2 to 1 tsp ( 2 to 5 mL) cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp ( 30 mL) vegetable oil

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425F (220C). Place a rack on a broiling pan or baking sheet lined with foil for easy cleanup. Remove skin and any clinging fat from chicken and discard.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk egg white with buttermilk. For easy dipping, pour into a pie plate. Measure flour, baking powder and seasonings into a paper or plastic bag. Close top and gently shake to mix.
Dip a piece of chicken into buttermilk mixture, then place in paper bag. Close top and gently shake to evenly coat chicken. Place on rack. Repeat with remaining chicken, 1 piece at a time. Discard any flour mixture that does not cling to chicken. Do not sprinkle any remaining flour mixture over chicken. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush or dab oil over flour coating on chicken to ensure a crispy crust.
Bake in centre of 425F (220C) oven until coating is crisp and golden, from 40 to 45 minutes. Wonderful with oven-fried chips and crunchy coleslaw