Southern Fried Chicken is the perfect comfort food - and this ultimate version gets extra crispy and tasty every damn time.
Combine all seasoning ingredients in a bowl and whisk till thoroughly combined.
Combine one egg, buttermilk, salt and two tablespoons of the spice mixture into a bowl and whisk until combined and perfectly smooth.
Add chicken thighs to the marinade stir/toss to coat.
Add chicken thighs and marinade to a large ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least four hours but preferably overnight, flipping the bag occasionally to assure perfect distribution of the marinade.
Whisk together flour, corn starch, baking powder, two teaspoons of salt and remainder of the spice mixture in a large bowl.
Remove chicken from the fridge and add three tablespoons of the marinade to the flour mixture. Use your fingers to work the marinade into the breading.
One by one, remove chicken pieces from the marinade, allowing excess marinade to drip off. Then add to the flour mixture and toss to coat evenly. Use your hands to squeeze on as thick a layer of breading as possible and continue with remaining pieces.
Heat your oven to 175C.
Heat deep fryer or a large pot of oil to 175C. It should drop to about 150C as you add the chicken.
Working in batches if you must, fry chicken pieces at 150C for eight minutes until the crust is a light, golden brown and evenly set.
Remove chicken pieces from the oil, and let drain evenly. Then transfer to the oven and cook for another eight minutes. If playing it safe and using a thermometer, it should read 72C.
Move chicken pieces to a wire rack to drain and cool for a few minutes. Then transfer rack to the fridge and allow to cool completely for anywhere from two hours to overnight.
Remove chicken from fridge and heat fryer or oil to a blazing 190C.
Add the chicken and fry for about five minutes or until a deep golden brown and insanely crispy.
Transfer to a wire rack to drain and serve immediately.