Buttermilk fried chicken is taking the capital by storm, and I've been desperate to work out a way to make this crispy, juicy piece of paradise at home, and without a deep fat fryer. I've done it, and it's just as good...
First up, you want to use some good quality Chicken thighs - good, as in free range, i.e. not pumped with water to inflate them and dilute taste.
Sling them between two pieces of cling film and 'tenderise' by twatting them with a pestle/rolling pin/back of a spoon.
For the marinade, mix the following:
3 big dollops of buttermilk (or yoghurt if you can't locate)
2tsp paprika
2tsp cayenne pepper &/or chilli powder
2tsp ground coriander
3 cloves crushed garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1tsp dried thyme
This is by no means the gospel marinade mix, so do experiment. You can't go too far wrong.
Mix it in with the chicken, seal it and sling in the fridge for somewhere between 4 - 24 hours. The longer the better.
Now for the crumb mix. One point to note here is that if you want to make this healthier still, the Hemsley's use ground almonds or 'sun flour' instead of breadcrumbs. Though this little bread can't be that bad...
So, rip up 3-4 thick slices of bread (ideally brown in some form) and add to a blender (buy breadcrumbs if you don't have one). To that mix, add 2tsp cayenne pepper & season well with salt and pepper. Whizz it all up and add to a wide bowl/high rimmed plate.
Grab a second wide bowl/high-rimmed plate, crack in two eggs, and empty in the marinade mix, holding the chicken back for now. Whisk with a fork.
Now, pull off the chicken skins and repeat the following process twice:
1. Dip the chicken in the wet mix
2. Press into the dry mix so that the whole thigh is covered
Lay those puppies on a racked oven tray, crank the oven to 200 degs, and bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put 3 big dollops of mayo, a handful of basil and a stick of lemongrass in a blender. Sauce done.
Finely slice the iceberg and run a dollop of the mayo through it all. This helps lightly glue the greens to the bun (and is a tekkers used the world over).
Once your chicken is looking golden and cripsy (30 minutes is more than enough cooking time btw), it's time to assemble.
Toast your buns...
... and layer up as follows:
1. Bottom bun
2. Guacamole (1 lime, 1 avocado, salt, pepper, & squish together!)
3. Lettuce
4. Chicken
5. Mayo-dolloped-bun-lid
Sink in.
Ingredients :: Serves 2
Chicken thighs
Buttermilk
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper
Dried Thyme
Ground Coriander
Lemon
Bread/Breadcrumbs
Basil
Lemongrass (fresh or dried)
Mayo
Iceberg or other crunchy lettuce
Brioche buns (or normal burger bun)
