Best-Ever Boneless Fried Chicken with Bourbon Gravy

Best-Ever Boneless Fried Chicken with Bourbon Gravy
Chicken
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds total)
1 cup buttermilk
3-5 cups corn oil, to fry
Bourbon Gravy
1 cup canned chicken broth
3 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup bourbon
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
To cook the chicken: In a large doubled brown paper bag, combine the flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Fold over the top of the bag several times to seal tightly and shake until well blended. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture for the gravy. Add the chicken and shake gently until evenly coated, then gently shake off any excess.
Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl. Dip each chicken breast half briefly in the buttermilk until well coated, gently shaking off any excess. One by one, return each chicken breast half to the flour mixture and gently shake again until evenly coated.
Place the chicken breast halves on top of another large, flattened brown paper bag and let stand for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Place a deep, large (12- to 14-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, pour enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the skillet, and heat the oil until it tests 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.
Add the chicken breast halves, cover with a lid, and fry for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and reduce the heat to medium-low and turn the chicken over. Fry, uncovered, until crisp and golden brown and the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork in the thickest part, 8-10 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined pan to drain. Remove and discard the paper towels and transfer the pan to the oven to keep the chicken warm until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, to prepare the gravy: Pour off all the oil from the skillet except 2 tablespoons. Place the skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the 2 tablespoons reserved flour mixture until well blended, and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes.
Whisk in the chicken broth and the dissolved bouillon mixture. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly Whisk in the bourbon. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken at once and pass the gravy on the side.
Serves four.
Nutrition values per serving: 370 calories, 10 g fat, 25 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 32 g protein, 71 mg cholesterol, 1,180 mg sodium.
"Cooking in Cast Iron" by Mara Reid Rogers (2001 HPBooks, $17.95)