Crunchy Oven-Fried Chicken with Herb Gravy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups cornflake crumbs
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 (1/2 lb.) bone-in chicken breast halves
• 2 ( 1/4 lb.) chicken drumsticks
• 2 ( 5oz.) bone-in chicken thighs
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme or rosemary
• 1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings (1/4 chicken with 1/4 cup gravy)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a large shallow baking pan with foil. Place a wire rack in the pan; spray the rack with nonstick spray.
2. Place 1/2 cup of the flour and the cornflake crumbs on separate sheets of wax paper, Put the egg whites in a shallow bowl.
3. Put the chicken in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt. Whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce in a glass measure; pour over the chicken and turn to coat.
4. Coat the chicken, one piece at a time, with the flour, then dip into the beaten egg whites, allowing the excess to drip off. Coat the chicken with cornflake crumbs, pressing lightly so they adhere. Place the chicken on the prepared rack; lightly spray with nonstick spray. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 45 minutes (do not turn).
5. Meanwhile, to make the gravy, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons flour; cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until the gravy bubbles and thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the thyme and black pepper. Divide the chicken among 4 plates and serve with the gravy.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. Forget going out for fried chicken, you can make this at home and it will be just as good as the fast food chains or any other country kitchen. You can have your 'fried chicken' and eat it too. I recently made this dish and it was delicious. I highly recommend using boneless, skinless, chicken breast in this recipe for a meatier and healthier take. The herbed gravy is so good you'll want to pour it over your mashed potatoes and vegetables. If you have time, marinate the chicken in the buttermilk overnight in the fridge so it becomes more flavorful, tender and juicy when you cook it and eat it.