Big Buckin' Chicken Rodeo

Have you seen the Burger King commercial with the chicken rodeo, and the brokeback cowboy singing "Big buckin' chicken, you are big" while they take turns riding that monster poultry? Yeah, it's weird but it made me laugh. It also made me hungry for my Southern Fried Buttermilk Chicken. It's a simple recipe I developed at culinary school (perfected by Monica) and it is umm, umm good! (Safety note: Remember to wash your hands each time you touch the chicken, and avoid cross-contamination by washing all utensils, equipment, and surfaces.)
SOUTHERN FRIED BUTTERMILK CHICKEN - makes eight pieces
1 whole fryer, 3 to 4 lbs. cut into 8 pieces
1 quart buttermilk
4 tablespoons onion powder, divided
4 tablespoons garlic powder, divided
2 tablespoons dried thyme, divided
2 tablespoons dried sage, divided
2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, divided
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Oil, peanut or canola
Rinse cut up fryer chicken under cold water, pat dry with paper towels and set aside. In a large zip top plastic bag, add all the flour and half of the seasonings. Zip the top and set aside. In a large bowl mix the buttermilk and the remainder of the seasonings. Place the chicken in the buttermilk mixture. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. In a large cast iron skillet add enough oil to come 1" up the side of the pan and heat to 350 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture with a pair of tongs and place in the flour mixture. Coat evenly then place into the skillet skin side down. Fry until golden brown then turn to fry the other side. Remove from skillet and place on wire racks over baking sheets to drain. If necessary, finish in a 350 degree F oven until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.