Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Right, so this might not have as many herbs and spices as KFC does, but at least you get the satisfaction of making it fresh. Be warned though- frying chicken is ridiculously difficult. Not quite like running 250 km in a desert, but most probably a close second.

Ingredients

To Marinate the Chicken:
8 pieces skin-on chicken (thighs/breast/leg)
2-3 cups buttermilk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1tsp paprika
0.25 tsp cayenne
0.5 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground dried herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage)
1 tsp minced garlic

For the Seasoned Flour:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
0.5 tsp paprika
0.25 tsp cayenne
0.5 tsp black pepper
0.5 tsp garlic powder
0.5 tsp onion powder


Wash the chicken and toss it into a bowl. Coat the chicken with the spices and herbs from the first list, so that each piece is nicely coated. Place the chicken back in the bowl skin down, and pour the buttermilk over it. Stick the bowl in the fridge and let it sit and marinate for half a day. Over night would be better.

When you're ready to fry, mix the flour with the ingredients listed above. Sift the spices through the flour, and then coat the chicken evenly with the mix. The magic mix, if you will.

Wilde Oscar says: For a thicker, crispier chicken you can try the double dipping. After you've coated the chicken with flour, stick it back into the buttermilk and then recoat it in the flour.

Add about two inches of oil to the fryer and heat to about 160 C, or low to medium heat. Put the chicken in and allow it to cook on one side for about 8 minutes, and again on the other side for another 6-7.

Wilde Oscar says: This is where that whole bit about the challenge of a life time comes in. The chicken will be a nice golden colour long before it's cooked through to the bone, so it's a tricky operation. Deceptive and outrageous, it's true. You actually have to let it sit in the oil and continue to cook all the way through long after the outside looks edible. Alternately, if you're getting burnt chicken that isn't cooked on the inside, you can remove the chicken from the oil after it's a golden brown colour on the outside, and place it on a baking pan and into an oven preheated to 160C. The idea is to get the inside of the chicken to a high enough temperature to fully cook. Once the inside is done, you can do quick second fry for the extra crispy taste. If heart attacks aren't on the menu, skip the second fry.

Once you're convinced it's cooked, take it out, let it sit on a wire rack to drain off the extra oil. Place on paper towels or pat dry and let it cool.

Wilde Oscar says: If this is your first time making it, you've probably screwed up the frying. Maff khuro. If you've still got a hankering for fried chicken, this should help:

KFC Vancouver: +604.689.1402
KFC Dubai: +600 56 9999
KFC Kabul: +079 98 97 900

Seriously, go ahead and call.