By Food & Wine
To create the quick crust in this recipe, F&W's Senior Recipe Developer Grace Parisi dredges marinated pieces of chicken in a mixture of instant polenta and flour. Best Fried Chicken in the U.S.
©: Fredrika StjärneOven-Fried Chicken with a Polenta Crust
INGREDIENTS
Vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, or 3 pounds chicken parts on the bone
1 1/2 cups instant polenta
1 cup all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a large non-stick baking sheet with oil. In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise and yogurt with 1 tablespoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon each of the cayenne and black pepper. In a large resealable plastic bag, mix the polenta with the flour, the remaining tablespoon salt and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Add the chicken to the yogurt mixture and turn to coat completely. Transfer the chicken to the plastic bag, a few pieces at a time; seal and shake to coat.
2. Arrange the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and spray lightly with vegetable oil. Bake on the lowest rack of the oven for 30 minutes or the chicken is cooked through and golden on the bottom.
3. Using tongs, carefully turn each piece of chicken and bake for 5 minutes longer, until the undersides are golden. Blot the chicken with paper towels, transfer to a platter and serve.
Make Ahead The chicken can be baked up to 3 hours ahead and served at room temperature.
More from Food & Wine
Fast Chicken Recipes
Chicken Breast Recipes
Easy Chicken Recipes
Amazing Fried Chicken Recipes
More of the Best Fried Chicken in the U.S.
My after-school snack was a sacred ritual. I sat on the carpet in my parents' bedroom at a low table, the television turned to "I Dream of Jeannie," and ate a peanut butter and honey sandwich cut into neat squares. I wasn't fussy about crusts. I just loved the sticky pairing of creamy peanut butter with syrupy golden sweetness drizzled from a honey bear in diagonals across the soft white bread. Nothing else--save for maybe apples and peanut butter in a pinch--could have made for as sweet an