Recipe(tried): Creole Oven Fried Chicken Thighs (using corn flakes)

CREOLE OVEN FRIED CHICKEN THIGHS

This recipe makes a spicy, batch of creole oven fried chicken. Brining (soaking the chicken in salt and spice solution) before cooking allows the chicken to absorb spices and some of the soaking water for a moister, more flavorful chicken.

4 lbs chicken thighs, bone in, skin removed
aerosol cooking spray

FOR THE SEASONED BRINE:
1 quart (4 cups) water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 Tablespoons Tabasco sauce (or your favorite red pepper hot sauce)
2 Tablespoons seasoning salt
1 Tablespoon garlic powder

FOR THE CREOLE COATING:
2 cups uncrushed, unsweetened, corn flakes cereal (such as Kellogg's Corn Flakes) (crushed down makes about 1 cup of coating)
2 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 to 1/16 teaspoon cayenne red pepper (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 to 1 teaspoon seasoning salt (more or less to taste)

TO BRINE THE CHICKEN:
Whisk together the water, granulated sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, and garlic powder in large bowl until sugar and seasoning salt dissolve.

Add chicken to seasoned brine and refrigerate, covered, for 1 to 8 hours. Don't brine longer than 8 hours or chicken will be too salty. I usually brine about 4 hours.

MEANWHILE, TO PREPARE THE CREOLE COATING:
Crush corn flakes in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag with rolling pin. (Don't crush to a fine dust, leave some small bits of flakes for a crispy coating on the chicken.) Mix remaining dry ingredients for the coating together in small bowl and add to crushed corn flakes in zip-lock bag. Shake to mix well. Set aside

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Adjust rack to middle position of oven.

Discard the seasoned brine and rinse chicken well. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rinsing removes excess salt and the chicken must be dry for coating mix to stick.

Spray each piece of chicken on both sides with cooking spray until damp enough for cornflake coating to stick. Place each oiled chicken thigh, one at a time, into zip lock bag and coat with crushed corn flakes and spices. Place coated thighs bone side down on baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle any unused crushed corn flake mixture from zip-lock bag over chicken thighs until they are all coated evenly. Spray each corn-flake coated chicken thigh on baking sheet with more cooking spray, just to slightly moisten coating. Be careful not to rinse off coating with the spray.

Bake on middle rack of oven at 375 degree F for 30 to 45 minutes or until internal meat temperature reaches 175 degrees F. If you don't have a meat thermometer, cook until juices from chicken run clear and meat near bone is no longer pink. Do not turn thighs over during cooking or coating may fall off.