Buttermilk fried chicken

Break down the chicken: take off the wing tips, de-joint the wings where they attach, remove the thigh and leg section and cut between drumstick and thigh.

Snap the backbone with a heavy cleaver, cut the breast in half by slicing down to the bone and then giving it one pound with the hand so it goes through cleanly without bone fragments, and cut each breast in two.

Toss the pieces in a bowl with black pepper, salt, paprika, dried herbs, white pepper and cayenne.

Top with buttermilk and let it sit six hours; four will do, overnight is possible.

Mix a seasoned flour of flour, salt, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, white pepper and onion powder.

Dredge the marinated pieces in the seasoned flour until nicely coated, shake off the excess and set them on a plate.

Heat about two and a half quarts of oil in an eight quart Dutch oven to 350F and fry all eight pieces at once.

Cook about 10 minutes to develop a crust, then move the pieces around in case any are stuck together.

Fry another 10 to 15 minutes, 20 to 25 minutes total in the hot oil, to cook through.

Set a rack on paper towels on a sheet pan to drain the chicken.

Fish the pieces out with a spider and drain them.

Wait about 10 minutes before biting in.