Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Fried Chicken

1. (Optional): Place chicken in a large bowl. Add 2 qt. water and 1/2 c kosher salt or 1/4 c table salt. Allow mixture to sit in refrigerator for two to three hours, then drain and pat dry. This process, called brining, will force salt and water into the chicken and make it more tender when cooked.
2. Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a baking dish large enough to hold all the chicken in one layer with your choice of butter, oil, or allergy-safe cooking spray. You may also use a nonstick baking dish. If you don't have a large enough dish to hold all the chicken, prepare two dishes.
3. Set out three large, shallow bowls. Fill the left-hand bowl with 1 c flour, the middle bowl with the buttermilk or beaten eggs, and the right-hand bowl with the remainder of the flour, salt and pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Stir the right hand bowl to combine the spices. Set the prepared baking dish or dishes beside the dredging area.
4. Dredge the chicken by dipping each piece into the left-hand bowl, coating on all sides, then shaking gently to remove excess flour. Dip flour-covered chicken into buttermilk or egg until covered on all sides, then allow excess liquid to drip off. Finally, dip chicken into the seasoned flour and shake off. Place dredged chicken into the baking dish. Repeat until all chicken is dredged.
5. Bake dredged chicken for 20 minutes, or until coating starts to turn light brown. Remove from oven.
6. In a large skillet or wok, heat enough oil to submerge chicken halfway over medium-high heat. Fry all pieces, turning once, until thoroughly cooked, about six minutes per side. (If you have an instant-read thermometer, it should read 175 F at the thickest point of your dark meat, or 165 F if you choose to cook white meat using this recipe).

Serves 4-6