Chicken Fried Chicken with Seasoned Onion Gravy

Ingredients:

• For the Chicken:
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• (Reserve 2 tablespoons)
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each), cut and pounded into 4 cutlets
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon no sodium baking powder
• 4 cups vegetable shortening for frying

• For the Gravy:
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• black pepper

Directions:

For the Chicken:
1. Combine the paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and mix thoroughly with a fork.

2. Place the Chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat pounder or the bottom of a heavy cast iron skillet until approximately 1/4 inch thick.

3. Whisk the milk, egg, and 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture in a large bowl, add the chicken and spiced flour to a Ziploc bag, shake the bag to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least half an hour or overnight. The longer it marinades the better.

For the Gravy:
4. Heat the butter in a 10-inch heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium-high until foamy. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes (lower the heat if the butter starts to brown). Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the reserved spice mix to the flour then add to the onion mix and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed, about 1 minute. Add the milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Add the cream, whisking, and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Simmer, whisking, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with plenty of pepper. Keep warm while you fry the chicken.

5. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and the remaining spice mixture in a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the marinade from the zipper-lock bag and work it into the flour with your fingertips. Remove the chicken from the bag, allowing the excess buttermilk to drip off. Drop the chicken into the flour mixture and toss and flip until thoroughly coated, pressing with your hand to get the flour to adhere in a thick layer. Shake the chicken over the bowl to remove excess flour, then transfer to a large plate.

6. Carefully lower 2 pieces of chicken into the pan. Adjust the heat to maintain the temperature at 325°F for the duration of cooking. Fry the chicken pieces without moving them for 2 minutes. Carefully agitate the chicken with a wire-mesh spider or tongs, making sure not to knock off any breading, and cook until the bottom is a deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken and continue to cook until the second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes longer.

7. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain for half a minute, then transfer to a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces of chicken.

Serve with the season onion gravy.