Food = comfort

Tonight I wanted a light dinner. You know, something fitting for a hot August evening. So I made Oven-Fried Chicken. I made this recipe from the dearly departed Cottage Living magazine. It was definitely more time-consuming than what I'd normally make on a Monday night, but it was very tasty. I'm not big on frying, so this method of pan-frying for a few minutes and then finishing it off in the oven worked well for me.

Oven-Fried Chicken

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces*
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 cup canola oil

Preparation

1. Whisk together hot sauce and buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Place chicken into mixture, turn to coat, and chill 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 425°. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a bowl. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet until sizzling hot (about 350°).

3. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture, 1 piece at a time, shaking off excess. Dredge in flour mixture, and place in hot skillet. Cook in batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown.

4. Place fried chicken on a wire rack in a baking sheet, and bake 40 to 45 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven, and place on paper towels to drain. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot or at room temperature.

Yummy. With it, we had Loaded Baked Potato Casserole and corn--you know, to pretend like we're eating something healthy.