Peppery Chicken Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

8 (6 ounce) skinless and boneless chicken breasts
4 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
4 ½  teaspoons pepper, divided
2 sleeves saltine crackers (about 76)
2 ½ cups flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
8 cups milk, divided
4 large eggs
Peanut oil

Directions:

1.  Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap, and flatten to ¼ inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.  Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper evenly over chicken.  Set aside. 
2. Combine cracker crumbs, 2 cups flour, baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and ground red pepper.
3. Whisk together 1 ½ cups milk and eggs. Dredge chicken in cracker crumb mixture; dip in milk mixture and dredge in cracker mixture again.
4. Pour oil to a depth of ½ inch in a 12-inch skillet (don’t use a non-stick skillet) or electric skillet.  Heat to 360 degrees.  Fry chicken, in batches, 10 minutes, adding oil as needed.  Turn and fry 4 to 5 more minutes or until golden brown.  Remove to a wire rack in a jellyroll pan.  Keep chicken warm in a 225 degree oven.  Carefully drain hot oil, reserving cooked bits and 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet.
5. Whisking together remaining ½ cup flour, remaining 2 ½ teaspoons salt, remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper, and remaining 6 ½ cups milk.  Pour mixture into reserving drippings in skillet; cook over medium high heat, whisking constantly, 10-12 minutes or until thickened.  Serve gravy with chicken.