Oven Fried Hot Chicken

Lots of people are familiar with Nashville's music scene, but did you know there's something else that Nashville is known for? Something that will make your heart beat faster and raise your blood pressure higher than the latest Taylor Swift hit? I'm talking about Nashville Hot Chicken.

Before I moved here I'd never heard of hot chicken, but now I know that it's serious business. Not only do locals make hot chicken runs at 2am to satisfy their cravings, but there's a whole Hot Chicken Festival to celebrate and compare the different varieties. Most Nashvillians will tell you that even though many try their best, there's really only one variety of hot chicken, and that's the infamous Prince's Hot Chicken.

I can't claim to be a hot chicken expert by any means. I love spicy food, but I prefer being able to taste the flavor of the food I'm eating instead of just feeling it (especially if feeling it means that the fiery sensation starts in your mouth and then travels through the entire digestive tract). I'm also pretty sure that Prince's doesn't cater to people on gluten, dairy and sugar free diets--this is one of those cases where the original recipe just can't be altered. I don't blame them. They've got a pretty solid thing going with their lard-fried chicken and white bread. Every once in awhile, though, those of us with food restrictions just want to share in the fried, hot chicken goodness. Now we can.

First, the setup. Preheat your oven to 375F. Fill the bottom of a glass baking dish with grapeseed or coconut oil. Next, pour your gluten free flour on a plate or shallow bowl. I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour. Then, crack a couple eggs in a bowl and whisk them together. On the third plate, mix almond meal with a generous amount of chipotle or cayanne pepper powder.

Now the process. Take your (organic, free-range) chicken drumsticks and dry them off with a towel (this will maximize their crispiness). Sprinkle them with sea salt. Then, dip them in the flour until covered, next the egg, then the almond meal mixture (the almond meal will become gloppy and gooey from the egg, so start with a small amount of almond meal mixture and replenish as you cover the chicken legs to keep it dry and fresh). Place them in the baking dish and bake at 375F for 30 minutes. Flip them and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes until crispy.

This may not be Prince's, but it tastes pretty dang good, and this hot chicken won't clog your arteries or give you an ulcer. Which means you'll live longer so you can eat More. Hot. Chicken.

Note: This chicken isn't really that spicy. You can adjust the level somewhat by adding more pepper to the almond meal. I think next time, though, I'll rub the chicken and marinate it overnight in a mixture of chipotle or cayanne pepper, lime juice, and sea salt. Then, I think the hotness will seep into the meat instead of just being on the outside. Let me know if you try this...