Opelousas Baked Chicken

Opelousas Baked Chicken is a very famous Opelousas, Louisiana dish. The secret is in the seasoning and the long, slow basting process. It's served with rice dressing, petit pois, candied yams, green salad, French bread and black coffee demitasse.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 fryer halves
• Creole seasoning or salt and pepper)
• 1 cup leftover chicken fat or oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 small can paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

1. Season chicken generously with Creole seasoning or salt and pepper. Rub well on each side.
2. Place fryer halves in open baking pan and cover with a mixture of oil and water.
3. Place pan in preheated oven (275 degrees F) and bake until hot.
4. Sprinkle generously with paprika and chili powder. Baste continuously every half hour until dark brown - 3 to 5 hours.