Oven Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Ingredients

2 cups buttermilk

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon hot
sauce

1/2 yellow onion,
sliced

5 sprigs fresh
thyme

3 cloves garlic,
smashed

Kosher salt and
freshly ground black pepper

1 (3 pound) chicken
cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry

2 cups crushed corn
flakes

3/4 cup grated
Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons chopped
fresh thyme

 Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Fit a sheet tray with a wire rack and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix together buttermilk, lemon juice,
hot sauce, onion, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Add chicken
and coat with mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator
for 3 hours or up 12 hours.

Mix corn flakes, Parmesan cheese, and
thyme together. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove chicken from the marinade,
letting the excess drip off, and dredge through the corn flake-Parmesan
mixture, pressing to help it adhere. Place on the wire rack-fitted sheet tray
and bake for 45 minutes until golden and crisp.

Cook’s Note: Remove the skin to save
calories. Soaking chicken in buttermilk leaves the chicken incredibly moist
with a delicious flavor.

Aloha, everybody! Last week I hosted a Hawaiian inspired lunch for two friends. I made the meal in my very own kitchen—kind of a tight squeeze, but I’m used to it! (One day I’ll get my dream kitchen!).

I will toot my own horn and say it was absolutely delicious (and the girls’ would attest to that!). We started out with some tropical island mojito with basil, mint, and pineapple juice  and a light cucumber and tomato salad with a champagne honey dijon vinaigrette.

Next on the menu was Sweet n’ Spicy Chicken Drummettes. These babies balanced just the right amount of tart, tangy, and to-die-for.

My Aloha Fish Tacos were the main attraction. Wrapped in a cute and crunchy wonton shell, I cooked and cut up tilapia for the entrée. Then with a mixture of crème fraiche, wasabi paste, avocado, mango, and some spices I don’t care to share (my secret!), the miniature tacos were ready to serve. The shells, while seemingly fancy, were incredibly easy to make, and I definitely suggest being creative with them at home. You can do dinner or dessert in these crispy shells (find them in the refrigerated section of your grocery store).

Last, and probably least least, was my red velvet ice cream. Yes, you read that right. I had experimented the night before with a cream cheese base, and the whole concoction was definitely a hit. The girls even took some home to share with friends, as they told me it would be selfish to keep something that good a secret!

Good food and great friends completed my day, and by the end of it all I was pretty wiped out. Even so, I finished the night by prepping a plain but good chicken breast for a friend, and then it was time for bed!

Let me know what you think of my tour-of-Hawaii menu! I would love to hear from you all!

XOXO,
Kimberly