Fried Chicken

1. Put the buttermilk in a large bowl or gallon zipper bag. Add several large pinches salt and some pepper and stir or shake to combine. Add the chicken and cover the bowl or seal the bag, squeezing out as much air as you can. Let it sit, refrigerated, for 1 to 24 hours.
2. When you’re ready to cook, fit a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet; line a platter with towels. Put2 to 3 inches oil in a large pot over medium heat. For this recipe, you want the oil at about 315°F, so keep an eye on it. If you don’t have a thermometer, heat the oil until a cube of bread sinks a bit before rising to the top and bubbling merrily. Just make sure the oil isn’t too hot.
3. Put the flour in a large shallow bowl with some salt and at least 1 tablespoon pepper; stir to combine. Working with one piece at a time, remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge it, turning and tossing in the flour, until thickly coated. Transfer each piece to the wire rack.
4. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding or overflowing, carefully add a few pieces of the chicken to the oil. They should quickly rise to the top and bubble enthusiastically. Adjust the heat so the oil maintains a steady but not-too-crazy cooking pace. Cook, turning occasionally, until the meat is cooked but still juicy and the outside is deeply browned, 10 to 15 minutes. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads between 155° and 165°F. Adjust the heat so the coating doesn’t darken too quickly but the oil continues to bubble.
5. As the chicken pieces finish, transfer them to the towels to drain. Add a raw piece of chicken as you take out each cooked piece, until you’re finished cooking. Serve at any temperature with salt, pepper, and lemon wedges.

– Recipe from How to Cook Everything: Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition