Deviled Fried Chicken

Remove backbone from fryer and cut chicken into 8 pieces. In a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag, mix buttermilk, Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of dry mustard, 1 teaspoon of cayenne and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Add chicken pieces. Seal bag, eliminating air. Turn bag to coat chicken evenly.

Refrigerate at least 1 day and up to 2 days, turning plastic bag occasionally.

Whisk flour, baking powder, garlic powder, remaining 1 tablespoons of onion powder, 4 teaspoons of salt, 3 teaspoons of dry mustard, 3 teaspoons of cayenne (I omit the cayenne from the flour mixture. Too hot for me) and 1 1/2 teaspoons of black pepper in 13x9x2" glass dish.

With marinade still clinging to chicken pieces (do not shake off excess), add chicken to flour mixture; turn to coat thickly. Let chicken stand in flour mixture for 1 hour, turning chicken occasionally to re-coat with flour mixture.

Pour oil to depth of 1 1/4" into deep 10-12" in diameter pot. Attach a deep fry thermometer. Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F.

Add 4 pieces of chicken, skinned side down, to oil. Reduce heat to medium-low and fry 5 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain oil temperature between 280 and 300 degrees F (oil should bubble constantly around chicken). Using wooden spoons, turn chicken over. Fry 7 minutes.

Turn chicken over again. Fry until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.

Using same spoons, transfer chicken to a large rack set on baking sheet. (To prevent the crust from breaking and to keep moisture sealed in, use wooden spoons rather than tongs or a fork to turn over the chicken pieces as they fry).

Reheat oil to 350 degrees F. Repeat frying with remaining 4 pieces of chicken.

Serving Ideas: Serve chicken warm or at room temperature within 2 hours, or chill up to 1 day and serve cold. This chicken tastes just as good cold as it does hot. Using boneless pieces is great for making sandwiches with the leftovers.