By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

In the files of the School Food Service office, I found a recipe for oven-fried chicken that looked so impossibly decadent that I just had to try it. This is the kind of recipe that should come with a warning label: Do not make this at home. You can't eat like this very often unless you want arteries solid as a filled cannoli.

Still, the recipe is ridiculously easy, with no need for breading or dredging, side-steps all the splatter and smell that comes from frying on top of the stove, and would be perfect for a time when you're serving a crowd, as many of us will be during the holidays. The chicken is beautifully golden and will appeal to both kids and adults.

The chicken bakes slowly at a lower-than-usual temperature and emerges crisp-skinned, with exceptionally moist meat. One tip: Use the new Reynolds Release nonstick foil to line the baking pan. The chicken won't adhere to the foil and there won't be any burned-on mess.

The vinegar gives the chicken a very slight, pleasant tang. You can double the recipe as many times as you need to.

I tried this first with three whole legs. I cut through the joint to separate the pieces into thighs and drumsticks. The next time, I baked bone-in breast sections.

The chicken breast meat cooked more quickly than the thighs and legs, as you might expect. The more moist, dark-meat cuts take longer and are more forgiving if you leave them in a bit long.

At any rate, here's the recipe, but don't tell your doctor I gave it to you. This is based on a recipe tested by Hawaiian Electric home economists years ago.

Oven Fried Chicken Supreme

• 3 pounds bone-in chicken parts
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Place chicken on a foil-lined, rimmed, shallow baking pan.

Melt butter and stir in other ingredients (it may boil up and thicken — no worries).

Baste chicken with butter sauce and place in preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, basting once or twice during cooking. Be vigilant about checking for doneness, especially for white-meat cuts, which can readily be overcooked and become dry.

Makes 3 generous servings.

Per serving: 900 calories, 69 g total fat, 30 g saturated fat, 340 mg cholesterol, 920 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 66 g protein.