"Eat More Chikin"

So sayeth the bovines who advertise for Chick-fil-A. And now I've learned that today is National Fried Chicken Day. (If you're interested, Friday is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A, and all those who show up dressed as cows get free chicken).

Well, I couldn't let this day pass without a good fried chicken recipe. Conveniently, fried chicken was the subject of last week's Washington Post food section. Here are the four recipes that were featured. I have included the one that looked the tastiest to me (hey, it uses a little bacon grease, so how bad could it be?), although Francine's looks to run a very close second.

• Brian's Fried Chicken
  
• Francine's Fried Chicken
• Gillian's Fried Chicken
  
• Stephanie's Fried Chicken

Brian's Fried Chicken

Summary:
Brian Robinson, executive chef at Restaurant 3 in Clarendon, makes fried chicken the way his grandfather and mother taught him. He adds lots of herbs to the buttermilk marinade to flavor the meat, and he coats the chicken with a mixture of panko, cornmeal and seasoning, which gives it an unusually crunchy texture (the chef has added the panko for extra crispness). A little bacon grease in the shallow frying oil imparts smoky flavor, too.

MAKE AHEAD: The chicken needs to marinate in the buttermilk for at least 2 hours (refrigerated) and up to 2 days in advance. 4 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
For the marinade

• 1 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces (plus the chicken heart; see NOTE)
• 1 quart buttermilk, or more as needed (can use low-fat)
• 3 medium cloves garlic, smashed
• Leaves from 4 or 5 sprigs thyme, minced (1 teaspoon)
• Leaves from 2 or 3 stems oregano, minced (1 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  

For the coating

• 2 cups panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
  

For frying

• Canola oil
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat
  

Directions:
Place the chicken pieces in a deep container with a lid; add the buttermilk to cover, then the garlic, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Combine the panko, cornmeal, flour, paprika, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, adobo seasoning and salt and pepper to taste in a large, wide bowl; mix well. Dip the chicken pieces to coat evenly but lightly on all sides, shaking off any excess.

Add enough oil to a large cast-iron skillet to fill at least 1/8 inch; heat to 325 degrees. Add the bacon fat to taste; let it melt into the oil. If you don't have an instant-read thermometer to test the oil, toss in a pinch of coated chicken; it should bubble vigorously. The oil temperature should hover around 300 degrees while the chicken is cooking; adjust the heat as needed. Place a wire rack or screen on top of a rimmed baking sheet (to drain the finished chicken).

Add half of the chicken pieces (top sides down, where appropriate), placing larger pieces at the center and smaller pieces near the rim of the skillet. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, then turn over and cook for 10 to 14 minutes; use tongs to hold some of the larger pieces on their sides for even browning. (The coating may cause the chicken to look darker than you're used to.) The chicken should be done when its internal temperature is 170 degrees for white meat, 180 degrees for dark meat.

Use tongs to transfer to the chicken to the rack or screen. Repeat the cooking with the remaining chicken. Serve hot, warm or cold.

NOTE: The chef likes to marinate, coat and fry the pieces of chicken heart, which take about 6 minutes to fry. They taste a little like fried chicken livers.