Baked Fried Chicken

Mmmm . . . nothing like buttermilk fried chicken with a quarter of the fat! This doesn't really taste much like real fried chicken, the kind that Mama makes, but it'll do.

This recipe is maddeningly vague. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Buttermilk (enough to cover the chicken pieces)

Hot sauce (a couple few teaspoons. Depends on your taste, the amount of buttermilk you're using, the heat of the sauce . . .)

Chicken pieces (you can use just a couple of skinned breasts or a whole, cut up chicken. Your choice, just adjust buttermilk and hot sauce accordingly.)

3 cups panko bread crumbs or crushed cornflakes

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt.

Method:

1. Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken and stir buttermilk until all pieces are completely covered. Chill for at least 4 hours (overnight is best.)

2. Preheat oven to 400*F. Crush cornflakes if necessary. Combine cornflake or bread crumbs with flour, baking powder and salt. Remove chicken from buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Dredge chicken in crumb mixture. Arrange pieces bone side down on a shallow baking tray coated with cooking spray.

3. Coat tops of chicken lightly with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully turn each piece over, coat again with cooking spray and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Turn chicken one more time, coat with cooking spray and bake for a final 10 - 15 minutes, or until the chicken is done (I check with a thermometer.)