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1
Season the chicken on all sides with 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground pepper, and 2 teaspoons smoked paprika.
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2
Arrange in a baking dish with the bay leaves, sliced lemon, and thyme or tarragon, and cover with buttermilk.
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3
Massage the chicken lightly to permeate with the seasoning, then cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
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4
Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and assemble your batter ingredients.
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5
Mix together all of the flour and cornflour, and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in a large shallow bowl or in a baking dish.
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6
Dip the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, turning to coat completely and gently pressing the flour onto the chicken.
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7
Shake off the excess flour over the bowl.
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8
Fill a deep wide pan with 2.5cm (1 inch) of oil (about 1/2 to 3/4 of a liter, depending on the width of the pan) and turn the stove onto medium high heat.
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9
Heat the oil until a small piece of bread sizzles and browns upon contact but the oil is not smoking (you want the oil hot enough to brown the chicken quickly).
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10
Fry 3 or 4 pieces of chicken at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pan so the oil does not cool down too much, for 2-3 minutes per side, until the outside is nicely browned.
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11
Transfer browned chicken pieces to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat the process with the remaining chicken pieces.
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12
Place the chicken on a rack over a foil-lined baking tray, then bake for 18-20 minutes until cooked through.
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13
Serve hot with chopped parsley or green onion to garnish, and hot sauce and/or blue cheese dip to accompany.
