SPICY FRIED CHICKEN BITES WITH DERBY DIP

Ingredients

4 strips of bacon
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons hot sauce
21/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups canola oil

2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/4 cup blue cheese, at room temp cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Place bacon onto a baking sheet and bake until crisp about 12 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and place onto a plate lined with a paper towel. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Once bacon is cool enough to handle, chop into small pieces.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. In a large bowl combine the buttermilk, hot sauce, and chicken. Cover and let marinade in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or as long as over night.

In a glass baking dish, whisk the flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper together. Remove chicken from buttermilk and add to seasoned flour. Make sure all the chicken pieces are thoroughly coated. Remove chicken from flour mixture and place coated chicken back into the buttermilk. Remove chicken from buttermilk and place back into the seasoned flour mixture for a second coating. Place double coated chicken on a baking sheet when done.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat with canola oil to 350 degrees. Add the reserved bacon fat. Working in batches fry the chicken until golden brown about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove cooked chicken to a sheet pan lined with paper towels.

In a medium bowl stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise and blue cheese. Stir in the crumbled bacon.

Serve derby dip with fried chicken bits.