To fry the sage leaves for garnish, place them in hot oil until they start to curl, about 3 seconds; remove with a slotted spoon.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (8 to 10 pieces), pounded about 1/4 inch thick, if needed

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

　　1 1/2 cups buttermilk

　　1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco

　　2 cups plain dried bread crumbs (about 8 ounces)

　　1/3 cup finely chopped fresh sage, plus fried leaves for garnish

　　Vegetable oil, for frying

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Stir the buttermilk, hot sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the chicken; turn to coat well. Let marinate for about 15 minutes. Stir the bread crumbs and sage in another bowl; set aside.

　　

Step 2

Heat about 1 inch oil in a large skillet until it reaches 365°F on a deep-fry thermometer. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, transfer the chicken from the buttermilk mixture to the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides completely. Gently place in the hot oil. Cook, turning halfway through with tongs, until crisp and dark golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack or paper towels to drain. Transfer to a baking sheet, and put in the oven to keep warm. Remove any bits of coating from the skillet with a slotted spoon, and discard before adding more chicken. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Garnish with the fried leaves.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.