Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Gravy

I have been searching literally forYEARS to find a good fried chicken recipe...and I've tried a lot of them, and they've all been good to fair but not absolutely fabulous.  Finally I realized I needed to take all the things I liked about all those recipes and combine them and see if I could come up with one of my own...so here it is, and I personally think it's super delicious!  I don't cook it all that often, so it's kind of a treat when we have it. 
*Disclaimer:  Fried chicken is not good for you.  It is not healthy, and it is not low fat.  If you are looking for healthy and low fat, this is not the recipe for you.  However, if you are looking for really, really, yummy comfort food, it is VERY delicious!  Let your own conscience be your guide and don't blame me when you love it.

BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN AND GRAVY

1 whole fryer chicken, cut up (or other chicken with bones--I usually use just breasts and drumsticks)

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

oil for frying (about a quart)

1 can evaporated milk

2 cups water

Remove skin if desired (I usually do from the pieces that I can).  Clean and pat dry chicken pieces and place them in a heavy duty zippered plastic bag.  Pour buttermilk in the bag, seal and toss to coat.  Place bag in the refrigerator for one hour.  Combine the flour, salt, pepper, garlic salt, paprika, and poultry seasoning in a new bag.  Drain chicken pieces slightly and add to flour mixture, one at a time, shaking to coat.  Place chicken pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it stand for approximately one hour (put it in the fridge once all the pieces are coated). 

The goal of letting it sit is to allow the flour mixture to become pasty (this will help the breading to stay on the chicken during frying).  Pour the leftover flour mixture in a bowl and reserve it for the gravy (put it in the fridge until needed).  Once your chicken looks pasty (hardly any white flour left) it's time to fry it.

Heat approximately 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet to 365 degrees.  Make sure the oil is HOT before you put the chicken in to avoid making it soggy with oil.  Fry chicken until browned on all sides.  Resist the urge to turn the chicken a lot--it will knock off all the breading--and turn using tongs, not a fork. (I only turned the chicken a total of 4 times in the whole cooking process)

Once chicken is nicely browned, reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking until tender and completely cooked, approximately 30 minutes (depending on chicken pieces--drumsticks will cook faster than breasts or thighs).  Juices should run clear if the chicken is done!  Cooking time is the hardest part, so keep an eye on it and cut into a fat piece if you're unsure.  When it's done, remove from oil and drain on a wire rack.

To make the gravy, pour all but about 1/4-1/2 cup oil from the skillet.  Stir in 4-5 tablespoons of the flour mixture leftover from the chicken into the drippings and whisk until smooth.  Add evaporated milk slowly, stirring constantly; then add the water (I use water drained from my potatoes).  Bring to a boil over medium low heat, stirring constantly.  Add more water or regular milk to get it to the desired thickness.  The recipe will make approximately 3 1/2 cups of gravy, so adjust accordingly if you need more than that.