Fried chicken with black pepper gravy

Ingredients:

Chicken

• 3 cups premium flour
• 2 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tbsp mustard powder
• 1 tbsp. Hungarian paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups of low-fat yogurt or kefir
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 900 g chicken thighs with skin and bones (about 8 pcs.)
• 1 container (450 g) of cooking fat
• 1 liter of neutral vegetable oil for frying

Gravy

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 drops of hot sauce
• Special equipment: deep fat thermometer

Preparation:

1. Chicken:

   
   In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, mustard powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. In another bowl, combine buttermilk, hot sauce, and vinegar.
   
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a wire rack on a second baking sheet.
3. Place the chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
4. Working with one hand in the dry mixture and the other in the buttermilk, carefully dredge the chicken in the flour, each piece individually, until completely coated and shake off any excess flour. Place the chicken in the buttermilk and carefully turn to coat. Place the chicken back in the flour mixture to coat again. Remove from the flour mixture and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Do not discard the flour mixture.
5. Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add shortening to the skillet and heat until melted. Once all the shortening has melted, add vegetable oil to the skillet to create a 2.5 cm (1 inch) high heat. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the skillet and heat the oil to 350°F (175°C).
6. Carefully lower half of the chicken into the oil. The oil temperature will drop, so adjust the heat to maintain a temperature of 325°F (160°C). Cook, turning once halfway through, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 165°F (77°C), 14 to 18 minutes. Transfer the fried chicken to a wire rack. Sprinkle with coarse salt and set aside while you cook the remaining chicken.

7. Gravy:

   
   Transfer 1/4 cup of the oil from the deep-frying pan to another cast-iron skillet and heat over medium heat. Stir in 1/4 cup of the flour mixture used to coat the chicken. Cook until a smooth paste forms, 2-3 minutes. Whisk constantly, pour in the milk. Simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens and easily coats the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with hot sauce. Pour the sauce over the fried chicken.