I’m not going to lie to you; these are a wee bit of a faff. Well, I thought so, you might not. I have a low faff threshold! But, if you have a bit of time, and really fancy a proper treat, then they are SO worth it. Maybe a Saturday night would be the time to have these, starting to make them early evening? I mean, it’s not that hard or anything, but you do have to dip buttermilk marinated chicken into flour – and then you get your fingers all gooey. And also there is a lot of oil involved. I’m just getting this info out the way first because I don’t want you setting out to make them and then getting all stressed and p*ssed of with me!
They are sooooo tasty though. They literally taste just like KFC! I couldn’t believe it. The buttermilk kind of breaks down the meat fibres, making the chicken so tender. The heavily seasoned flour is heavenly and because it’s fried it gives amazing crunch. Also, I used thigh, which has so much more flavour. I wanted to try it with nuggets first, but you could do this with meat on the bone, drumsticks or thighs. In fact I would prefer it that way I think. The nuggets are very child friendly. I just chucked some sweet potato wedges in to go alongside. Corn on the cob would be perfect too – and maybe some wilted greens for grown ups.
I made a mountain of them (which is probably why I found it stressful – do yourself a favour and make half!). Amounts below are what I advise you make for a family of four.
Proportions on the seasoned flour are approximate – just ensure the flour is seasoned generously.
Serves: 4 people
Takes: (20 minutes + 2 hours marinating)
Ingredients:
- 4 skinless and boneless free-range or organic chicken thighs, cut into bitesize chunks
- 500ml vegetable / sunflower oil
- 125g buttermilk
- Plain flour (about 10 tablespoons, spread out on a dinner plate)
- Oregano (about 2 tablespoons)
- Paprika (about 2 tablespoons)
- Salt and pepper (1 teaspoon of each approx)
Instructions:
- Chop your meat up and marinate for a couple of hours in buttermilk.
- On a large dinner plate mix the seasoned flour.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan.
- In batches, take pieces of the chicken and shake excess buttermilk off. Dip in flour and make sure it’s covered then pop in oil. Fry batches for about 10-12 minutes, turning in the oil to make sure both sides are cooked.
- Take out with slotted spoon and let rest on a cooling rack, or similar. If making a lot, transfer to a warm oven to keep warm – though they do tend to keep warm for a while even if you don’t do this.
- Serve with corn, sweet potatoes, and greens. Or just on their own with a pot of mayo!
