Italian baked fried chicken

Italian Baked Fried Chicken…Wow! Take that first bite and you will feel as if you are under the Tuscan sun at an al fresco bistro.

This his brings back a lot of childhood memories. This is something my mother frequently made for our family of 9. After growing up with such delicious fried chicken (the only way that we knew it to be), KFC or Popeye’s could never compare.

Baking the chicken rather than deep frying keeps the house from taking on the odor of a fast-food restaurant plus the cleanup is much easier (not to mention the health benefits). Once you’ve tried this, it may be hard to go back to any fast-food fried chicken.

Here is your shopping list:

1. 5 Chicken Drumsticks (if baking more, just increase the ingredients below)

2. 1 Egg

3. ¼ C extra-virgin olive oil

4. 1/4 tsp onion powder

5. 1/8 tsp garlic powder

6. 1/4 tsp paprika

7. ¼ C chopped fresh parsley

8. 1 Tsp dried rosemary

9. 1 tsp dried red pepper

10. Italian seasoned Breadcrumbs

11. Italian seasoned panko

12. 1 Tbsp Salt

13. 1 Tbsp Pepper

14. Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Prepare a baking sheet with foil and then top with parchment paper (this will help keep any juices or grease from splattering in your oven). Place a cooling rack (sprayed lightly with cooking spray) on top of the baking sheet where you will place the prepared breaded chicken.

Take the drumsticks and pat-dry with paper towel. Place the chicken in a deep-dish or bowl. Add the egg, ¼ cup of olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, rosemary, red pepper and chopped parsley.

Toss until well combined. In a separate bowl, take equal-part breadcrumbs and panko and mix well. Add the salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs and mix again. Adding the seasoning to the breadcrumbs gives a much more seasoned flavor rather than seasoning the meat with salt and pepper.

Take each drumstick (one and a time) and coat very well in the breadcrumb mixture and then pat down on the meat so that the breadcrumbs adhere well. Place each breaded drumstick on the cooking rack at least 1-1/2 inch apart. Drizzle the chicken all over with the extra-virgin olive oil (be generous).

Place in the oven for approximately 60 minutes, turning the drumsticks over half-way through the baking process, until completely cooked through and breadcrumbs are crisp. Because ovens cook differently, make sure to keep an eye out that the breadcrumbs don’t burn.

Having enough drizzled oil over the chicken will help to keep the crumbs from burning and making it very crispy. The target internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165 degrees in the thickest part of the meat. Remove from oven and let sit uncovered for 5-7 minutes before serving with none other than Butter Mashed Potatoes and Biscuits and don’t forget the coleslaw as you may want to add that and some pickled beets for a splash of color to your entre and your palette.

This week’s Fun Fact: Did you know that KFC was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in the 1930s and was a popular Great Depression-era eatery? It was after that time that he began franchising it as Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1952. His secret recipe is known for the 11 herbs and spices. The Italian Baked Fried Chicken just takes 8 and in my opinion is even more flavorful. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.