- 4
- 60 mins
Ingredients
- Variation from Food 52:
- Vegetable oil spray
- 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
- 4 Large egg whites
- 1/2 Cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3 Cups (3 ounces) Kellogg's Corn Flakes cereal
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
- 1/4 Teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1/8 Teaspoon poultry seasoning
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 4 (12-ounce) bone-in, split chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons sea salt (divided, plus more for serving)
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (organic or natural, not Perdue or somesuch)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (plus more for serving)
Preparation
Step 1
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place 3 cups (3 ounces) Corn Flakes in zipper-lock bag and use rolling pin (or bottom of large skillet) to crush them into fine crumbs.
3. Using kitchen shears, trim off rib sections from 4 (12-ounce) chicken breasts following vertical line of fat from tapered end of breast up to socket where wing was attached.
4. Using shears or chef’s knife, remove skin and trim breasts of all visible fat.
5. Using chef’s knife, cut each breast crosswise into two even pieces.
6. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, top with wire rack, and spray rack with oil spray.
7. Spread ½ cup all-purpose flour into shallow dish or pie plate.
8. In second shallow dish or pie plate, whisk 4 large egg whites until foamy.
9. Whisk in ½ cup buttermilk and 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard.
10. In third shallow bowl, combine Corn Flakes, 1 tablespoon canola oil, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon poultry seasoning, and pinch cayenne.
11. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
12. Working with one at a time, dredge chicken pieces in flour, coating top and sides only. Shake off excess.
13. Transfer dredged chicken to egg white mixture. Only coat top and sides.
14. Transfer chicken to Corn Flake mixture. Coat top and sides, pressing gently to adhere.
15. Lay chicken on prepared wire rack with uncoated side facing down.
16. Spray chicken with oil spray.
17. Bake until crumbs are golden and chicken registers 160 degrees, about 35 minutes. Serve
Variation:
1. In the morning, combine 2 tablespoons salt and about a cup of warm water in a large bowl or container. Stir to dissolve the salt. Trim the chicken of excess skin and fat. Add the chicken to the bowl. Cover with very cold water and add a tray of ice cubes. Swish around with your hand to disperse them. Chill in the refrigerator until dinner time.
2. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Remove the chicken from the fridge and pat dry completely with paper towels. Put the butter in a roasting pan large enough to fit the chicken in one layer (But remember, Judy says, "You don't want to crowd it or then it'll stew, like mushrooms"). Place the pan in the oven. In a 1-gallon freezer bag, pour in the flour, remaining 1 tablespoon salt and the pepper. Give it a good shake. Add the chicken pieces two at a time and shake them until thoroughly coated. As you lift them out of the bag, shake them off vigorously. This is vital. You do not want a gummy coating. Line them up on a plate, and repeat with the rest.
3. Lay the chicken pieces in the roasting pan, skin side down, and oven-fry until a chestnut brown and crisp on the bottom, about 40 minutes (sometimes it takes as long as an hour). Don’t flip them until this happens. Use a thin spatula to scrape them up off the pan and turn them; cook the other side until the bottom is browned, which will take less time, around 20 minutes. Remove the pieces from the oven as they finish cooking, and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Just before serving, grind fresh pepper over top and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.