Executive Chef Michelle Bernstein's famous fried chicken from Michy's:

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 small chicken, approx. 2-3 lbs, broken down into 10 pieces, breast cut in half
• ½ gallon buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp thyme leaves
• 1 Tbsp tarragon leaves
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots
• 1 Tbsp fennel seed
• 1 Tbsp mustard seed
• ½ tsp ground black pepper

Preparation
Add all ingredients – except the chicken – in a blender and puree until smooth.  Place chicken in a Ziploc bag with marinade and store in refrigerator overnight. Fill a medium sized sauce pot with enough of your favorite oil for frying; bring the oil to 350 degrees. 

There are two ways to prep the chicken for frying: 

• Standard prep:  Remove chicken from the marinade and roll pieces in all-purpose flour and carefully place in oil.
• Extra crispy:  Remove chicken from the marinade but reserve the liquid.  Roll the chicken in all-purpose flour, return to the marinade and roll in the flour again.  Place chicken in oil, carefully. 

Cook in frying oil 7-8 minutes or until golden brown and cooked all the way through.  Tip to check for doneness: Poke a paring knife into the chicken close to the bone then lightly place the flat side of the knife to your chin.  If it’s hot to the touch, the chicken is cooked. 

To Serve:  Season chicken with salt and pepper and serve with honey and Tabasco on the side.