Ingredients :

• Buttermilk — The ingredient most people skip—and it’s a mistake. Its acidity tenderizes the meat deeply and helps the flour stick. No buttermilk on the shelf? Mix 250 ml of whole milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar, let it sit for five minutes: same result.
• Smoked paprika — Not classic sweet paprika—smoked. It gives that mahogany color and a slightly woody background that makes all the difference. La Chinata brand is good, but any brand works as long as it’s smoked.
• Frying oil — Sunflower or peanut, definitely not olive. You need a smoke point high enough to hold at 175°C without flinching. Plan for at least one liter to have depth in the pot—a chicken that touches the bottom is a chicken that burns on one side.
• The chicken — Bone-in thighs if you can. They stay juicy even if the cooking goes slightly over. Breasts dry out very quickly—if you use them anyway, reduce the cooking time by about five minutes and check the internal temperature.