Oven Fried Chicken - Really Just Fried Chicken with Less Splatter

I grew up with this dish, and have only attempted it once or twice to my memory. It always seemed more complicated that it really is, and I just feared it would never be as good as the way my Mom made it. So I just never tried. I talk to my Mom almost every day, sometimes more than once, and without fail I always ask What did you make for dinner? And the other night she said those magic words, oven fried chicken. I immediately got the hankering, and while I was at Whole Foods on Sunday I bought a 3.5lb. organic chicken and asked the butcher to cut it up for me. When he asked me how? I simply said I was making fried chicken, and he smiled broadly and said, I know what to do.

Something you need to know about me, I'm incredibly and increasingly skeeved out by raw chicken. Where this comes from, I have no idea. As a kid I used to clean the chicken carcass and pluck the feathers for my Mom, and I had no problem with that. But now, I'm washing my hands every thirty seconds, disinfecting the counter, and squealing when the chicken juice gets a little too messy. However, I suck it up and deal, because I love eating chicken. It's a sight though, watching me in the kitchen. 

So tonight was the big night. Would it be golden enough? Flavorful enough? Would it live up to my expectations? I dove in... here's how it goes.

Pour enough vegetable oil into your roasting pan to cover the bottom and a bit more. Place into the oven and set it to 350°.
Fill a plastic bag with flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Add more of the seasoning than you think you should, I added plenty of salt and I still could have used more in the end.
Place one piece of chicken in the bag at a time. Shake and make sure the chicken is fully coated. Place the piece on a plate and set aside. Repeat until you have all the chicken prepped.
Once the oven is hot, and the oil is hot (it'll start sputtering) place the chicken in the pan skin side down. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden, and I mean golden brown. Flip and cook other side until it's the same color, could be another 30 minutes.
Remove chicken and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain off any excess oil.
Grab the tastiest piece and mangia.

Note: This may be disgusting to others, but as kids my sister and I would fight over what we called the "Scrapies." Those gorgeous bits of golden fried chicken bits stuck to the bottom of the roasting pan. Mmmmmm, salty, savory, chickeny goodness.