Fried Chicken with Bacon and Pepper Cream Gravy

Directions

1. 1.

   Toss chicken with buttermilk, onion, Tabasco, and 2 teaspoons salt. Marinate chicken, covered and chilled, at least 12 hours.

2. 2.

   Put flour, paprika, cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a paper or plastic bag and shake to combine well.

3. 3.

   Drain chicken well in a colander, discarding marinade and onions, then shake chicken in bag, 1 piece at a time, to coat well. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a sheet of wax paper. Let chicken air-dry 30 minutes.

4. 4.

   Preheat oven to 250°F with rack in middle. Set a cooling rack in a large shallow baking pan.

5. 5.

   Meanwhile, cook bacon in 2 batches in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp. Transfer to rack in baking pan and keep warm in oven.

6. 6.

   Scrape up brown bits from bottom of skillet with a spatula and strain bacon fat through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, reserving bits in sieve. Wipe skillet clean and add strained bacon fat. Add enough oil to measure 1/2 inch fat in skillet and heat to 350°F over medium-high heat.

7. 7.

   Fry chicken 4 pieces at a time (keep each batch all white meat or all dark meat), skin sides down first, turning occasionally with tongs, until golden-brown and cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes for breasts and wings; 10 to 12 minutes for drumsticks and thighs. Transfer chicken to rack with bacon and keep warm in oven. Return fat to 350°F between batches and reserve after frying.

8. 8.

   Strain frying fat through sieve into a bowl, then return 1 tablespoon fat and all brown bits in sieve to skillet. (Discard remaining frying fat once cool.) Whisk in flour and cook roux over medium heat, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil, whisking, then simmer, whisking, until thick, 3 to 5 minutes.

9. 9.

   Serve chicken with gravy and bacon.

10. 10.

    Haggipavlu Nemea '04