Lucky's Secret Fried Chicken (Declassified)

Skill Level: who cares, cooking is an adventure!
Time: well...you'll get quicker.
Serves: depends on the company, but makes a good dinner for six

Here's a fried chicken recipe that will give Colonel Sanders a run for his... chicken! This took loads of modification and lots of treadmill - guilt running to perfect.

1 quart buttermilk, plus two cups (yes be authentic, will not taste as good with skim milk)
1 egg or two (depends on the size, but don't sweat it)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (pre-ground will do if you must)
2 tablespoons of hot sauce (use your favorite, I like a chipotle personally) and 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 whole chickens (3-4 lbs each) cut up into at least 8 pieces

In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 quart of buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of salt and hot sauce mixture along with the black pepper. Add the chicken pieces, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (4 hrs if you're in a pinch)

Next day: place the remaining 2 cups of buttermilk in a bowl. Make some buttermilk biscuits to go along with this. They will be mighty tasty and a good use of the remaining buttermilk. Add the egg and stir just till they are combined. In another bowl, put the flour mixture (recipe follows). Drain the chicken in a colander and pat it till its absolutely dry. Dredge the pieces a few at at time in the flour mixture and pat off the excess. Be sure to get the excess off, if you don't the breading will fall off instead. Dip them in the buttermilk and allow the excess to drain off. Dredge them again in the flour mixture and pat off the excess. Put the chicken on a pieces of parchment paper till ready to cook.

Using a large cast iron pan (I recommend a Lodge Cast Iron Fryer ), fill the pan until it is almost half full of Crisco shortening and one piece of bacon. Heat the pan over medium high (350) heat while you are coating the chicken. When ready, pull out the piece of bacon, if you haven't already. Just make sure it doesn't burn. Place about 4 pieces of chicken in the pan at a time and let them cook for 6-8 minutes, flip them over and cook another 6-10. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F for medium done (I wouldn't recommend much cooler). Dark meat will take a little longer. Remove the chicken and let rest on a drying rack with lots of paper towels under it. You'll fry the last four the same way you fried the first four.

Flour mixture (here's the secret ;-))

3 cups of flour (sifted)
2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 teaspoons onion salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon course salt (Kosher)
1 teaspoon black pepper (fresh!)
1/2 teaspoon dried powdered rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried powdered thyme