2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 3-1/2 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups vegetable shortening
To make the buttermilk marinade: In a gallon-sized sealable plastic bag, combine buttermilk, mustard, salt, dry mustard, cayenne and black pepper. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat well. Seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to prepare, preheat the oven to 150 degrees. In a large bowl or pan, whisk together the flour, baking powder, dry garlic and salt. Add chicken pieces and turn to coat thickly. Let chicken stand 10 minutes, turning occasionally to recoat with flour. Shake off excess before frying.
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. In batches of four, fry the chicken, turning once when the coating is sealed and begins to brown, 4-5 minutes on average. Reduce the heat to medium; continue to fry for approximately 20 minutes, turning pieces halfway during cooking time. When done, transfer to a wire rack on a baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat this procedure for remaining chicken pieces.