Chicken Fried Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
- 1 1/2 c flour
- 1/2 tsp Diamond kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper (or a little less, if you’re not a black pepper fan)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 2 eggs
- 1 c buttermilk
- Oil for frying
- Cream gravy for serving (see below)
Pound the breasts until they are 1/4 inch thick
Mix together the flour with the salt, black pepper, and cayenne and place on a plate. Whisk together the eggs with the buttermilk. Lightly sprinkle the breasts with salt and pepper then dredge each into the flour. Dip the flour-coated breasts into the eggs and then dredge in the flour again. Place the breaded chicken breasts on a sheet pan.
Heat up the oven to 200°F. In a large heavy skillet, such as a cast-iron skillet, on medium-high heat up an inch of oil to 350°F, about 5 minutes. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test the temperature by sticking a wooden spoon into the oil. If it bubbles around the spoon, it should be ready for frying.
Working in batches, gently lower each breast into the oil and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned, turning once. Drain on a paper towel and place in the oven while you fry the remaining breasts.
Serve with cream gravy.
Cream Gravy:
- 2 T pan drippings, bacon grease, or vegetable oil
- 2 T all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 c whole milk
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Diamond kosher salt
Combine the fat with flour in a hot skillet, continuously stirring, cook on medium for a couple of minutes until a roux is formed.
Add milk slowly to the skillet, and mix with roux using either a whisk or wooden spoon (be sure and press out any lumps). Turn heat to low and continue stirring until mixture is thickened, a couple more minutes. Add the pepper and salt then taste and adjust seasonings.
If the gravy is too thick, you can thin it by adding either more milk or water a tablespoon at a time. Goes great with mashed potatoes, fried chicken, biscuits, chicken fried steak, grits, vegetables, rice or anything else you can imagine.