There are thousands of recipes for chicken floating around the Internet, magazines, and in your own recipe collection, but good old-fashioned fried chicken is an enduring favorite that's always sure to please.

Even in this age of weight-watching and health-conscious meal choices, fried chicken hasn't been abandoned entirely. It has, however, been reworked again and again to adapt to cooking styles other than deep-frying by emphasizing flavor instead of grease.

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There's still something to be said for the original recipes for fried chicken, that good old comfort food that brings back memories of family reunions and backyard fun for many of us. Paired with a tangy potato salad and hot buttered corn on the cob, it simply can't be beat.

However you like your fried chicken, there's always room for more tasty ideas and variations on well-worn family recipes.

• Always practice food safety. Wash your hands after handling raw chicken, and make sure cooked chicken doesn't end up on a plate that has raw chicken residue.
• Hot oil requires careful attention. Follow directions for using fryers and use common sense when frying in any other container. Remember that if water droplets hit the hot oil, it will "pop" and "jump," which can cause burns.
• There are several oils that are good for frying chicken. These include peanut oil, canola oil, coconut oil and others. Which oil you choose depends on your taste preferences and health considerations.
• To help coating stay on during frying, refrigerate the coated raw chicken for around half an hour before frying.

Fried chicken has a long history in America. Southerners were the first to enjoy this method of cooking chicken. At the time, fried chicken was a very basic recipe and was made in a heavy, cast iron cooking pan.

Fried chicken continued to be a favorite well into the 20^th century; it was served at family dinners, county fairs and picnics across the nation.

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It wasn't until the health renaissance of the late 1960's that people started talking a closer look at deep greasy, fatty foods like fried chicken and deciding to cut them out of their diet.

Luckily, fried chicken didn't need to get the boot entirely; it just needed a makeover. Some inventive chef realized that the crisp, satisfying fried chicken experience could be duplicated by baking the chicken in the oven instead of frying it in shortening.

This recipe uses butter to moisten the chicken. Butter has gotten a bad name in the diet community, but used sparingly, it's fine. Butter is a natural product and overall is better for you than hydrogenated margarine.

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces

Heat oven to 425°. Put butter in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; place the pan in the oven to melt butter.

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Meanwhile, mix flour, paprika, salt, and pepper. Coat chicken pieces with the dry mixture; place skin sides down in hot melted butter in baking pan. Bake chicken, uncovered, for 35 minutes; turn chicken pieces. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until juices run clear from thickest pieces. Oven fried chicken serves 4 to 6.

When it comes to flavor, the coating of your fried chicken makes all the difference. You can make it tangy, sweet, spicy - whatever you'd like. It's up to your sense of adventure and creativity.

• Crushed cornflakes
• Breadcrumbs
• A mixture of flour and cornstarch
• Mashed potato flakes {relatedarticles}

• Thyme
• Paprika
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Mustard or honey-mustard

If you're a fan of the fried chicken served at a certain fast food chain, you won't be surprised to find that the coating is the key to that signature taste. It is a secret recipe, but a pretty good approximation can be achieved in your own kitchen with no more effort than it would take to make any other fried chicken recipe.

(recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com)

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• 1 whole fryer chicken, cut into pieces (legs, thighs, breasts, etc.)
• 1 packet powdered herb soup mix
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 2/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (190 degrees celsius) and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Whisk together chicken coating ingredients and set aside. Place cut up chicken in a plastic bag and add instant soup packet. Shake bag to coat chicken evenly.

Place beaten egg in a shallow bowl and dip each piece of chicken in the egg to moisten. Roll chicken in the coating, making sure it is evenly covered. Shake off excess coating before placing on baking sheet. Bake chicken for 45-55 minutes, cutting into the thickest part of a breast piece to check that the inside is no longer pink and juices run clear.

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Shortcut: If you don't want to mix the coating ingredients, try a pre-flavored instant potato flake mix that already has herbs and spices added. If you do this, omit the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, but keep the parmesan. Baking chicken can still yield tasty, crispy goodness with less fat, especially when properly drained. To avoid soggy-bottomed chicken, place a wire baking rack on the baking sheet and arrange the chicken on top of it before cooking. This will keep the chicken out of any juices that collect on the pan.
If you're a fan of crispy fried chicken but not the bones, you can also use boneless, skinless breasts to produce your own homemade chicken fingers. Just cut the chicken breasts into strips, toss in your favorite coating mixture, and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

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These healthier versions of fried chicken are great served with a brown rice pilaf and a tossed spinach salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Or try your home made chicken fingers wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla with field greens and a zesty ranch dressing.