The ultimate fried chicken

Buttermilk-soaked chicken coated in a seasoned, crisp coating makes this the ultimate fried chicken. Delicious served with easy corn salad.

I have absolutely always loved Fried Chicken. As a young girl, my dad would treat us by bringing home a bucket of chicken and I would be over the moon. As I grew older though, I realised that this really wasn’t the most wholesome of meals and evidently, so did my parents as we saw the bucket less and less. I haven’t had a piece of the Colonel’s chicken in ages but I can’t imagine it tasting as good as I thought it did when I was young. Yet, I often crave crunchy, juicy, well-flavoured chicken and so decided to develop my own recipe for good the ultimate fried chicken.

Let’s start at the very beginning. You can not expect the ultimate fried chicken if you start with a sub-standard bird. An organic (free-range at the very least) bird will not only yield moist fried chicken, the flavour will also be unbeatable. To ensure you are met with juicy chicken once it’s been fried, it’s a good idea to leave your chicken pieces (with the skin on) in a buttermilk mixture. The buttermilk tenderizes the chicken and adds the first layer of flavour. I left my chicken to soak for 24 hours but at least 8 hours is my recommendation.

When it comes to ‘breading’ the chicken, I use a simple flour and spice mixture. I can’t tell you whether they are the same as the ‘secret herbs & spices’ the Colonel uses but I can tell you that I got damn close and that mine tasted even better. I think the spice that is non-negotiable for me is the smoked paprika. It adds a lovely hum of smokiness which is just perfect with the crunchy chicken. To fry the chicken I used canola oil and my large cast-iron pot. As long as you have around 10cm of oil in a pot, you should be fine. And make sure that you turn the chicken occasionally so it browns evenly all over.

To serve, I decided to make a roasted corn salad made with charred corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion and lots of flat leaf parsley. Add a finely chopped chilli and a squeeze of fresh lime and you have the perfect accompaniment to the chicken.

The ultimate fried chicken

Buttermilk-soaked chicken coated in a seasoned, crisp coating makes this the ultimate fried chicken. Delicious served with easy corn salad.

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Course: Chicken, Dinner

Servings: 4

Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

Chicken

• 8-10 chicken pieces skin on (drumsticks, thighs, wings are bet)

For the buttermilk soak

• 500 g buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves bruised
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

For the flour breading

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 2 l canola oil for frying

For the roasted corn salad

• 4 ears of corn
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 red onion finely chopped
• 1 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 red chilli finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• juice of 1 lime
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• To soak the chicken, combine the buttermilk with all the spices (I do this in a large ziploc bag) and add the chicken. Mix well to ensure the chicken is well coated then place in a large bowl and place in the fridge for 8-24 hours).
• When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and allow the excess to drip off.
• Combine all the ingredients for the breading in a large bowl and place the chicken in the flour. Press the flour into the chicken to make sure it's well covered. If you want extra crunch, you could double dip to create a thicker coating.
• Heat the oil in a pot and fry the chicken in batches until cooked through and golden brown (around 10-15 minutes depending on size).
• Drain the chicken on kitchen paper before serving.
• To make the salad, roast the corn in a pre-heated oven (250°c with grill on) until charred.
• Slice the corn off the cob and place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Serve with the fried chicken.

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