Peppery Chicken Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 2.5 teaspoons pepper black divided freshly ground
• 6 ounce skinned and boned chicken breasts 
• 4 large eggs 
• 2.5 cups flour all-purpose divided
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper red
• 8 cups milk divided
• 10 servings vegetable oil; peanut oil preferred 
• 4.5 teaspoons salt divided
• 76  saltines crushed (2 sleeves)

Equipment

• frying pan
• oven
• whisk
• wire rack
• plastic wrap
• rolling pin
• meat tenderizer

Directions

1. Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
2. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper evenly over chicken. Set aside.
3. Combine cracker crumbs, 2 cups flour, baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and ground red pepper.
4. Whisk together 1 1/2 cups milk and eggs. Dredge chicken in cracker crumb mixture; dip in milk mixture, and dredge in cracker mixture again.
5. Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a 12-inch skillet (do not use a nonstick skillet).
6. Heat to 36
7. Fry chicken, in batches, 10 minutes, adding oil as needed. Turn and fry 4 to 5 more minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove to a wire rack in a jellyroll pan. Keep chicken warm in a 225 oven. Carefully drain hot oil, reserving cooked bits and 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet.
9. Whisk together remaining 1/2 cup flour, remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper, and remaining 6 1/2 cups milk.
10. Pour mixture into reserved drippings in skillet; cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened.
11. Serve gravy with chicken.