Berber & Q
Editor Keith Kendrick tests saffron buttermilk fried chicken from the Middle Eastern restaurant's new cookbook
There’s a new KFC in town – Keith’s Fried Chicken. Well, not exactly. It’s actually SBFC – Saffron Buttermilk Fried Chicken. Yes, I’m here to tell you, lovers of the greasy fowl, I’ve discovered poulet perfection.
This recipe, for my latest Cookbook Challenge, comes from Berber & Q by Josh Katz, the man behind the hugely successful Middle Eastern grill in East London, and the Berber & Q Shawarma Bar in London’s Exmouth Market, specialising in rotisserie Middle Eastern meats slow-cooked over charcoal and wood, inspired by the cafe culture of Tel Aviv. Of course, not everyone has a rotisserie at home (does anyone?) but, still, there are plenty of opportunities for the domestic cook to indulge in. Top of the list, for me, was the SBFC. The recipe involves three stages – a two-day process for perfect results. You’ll need a wire rack, a digital thermometer and a heavy-based saucepan. I have the first two, but not the latter. Fortunately, I do have a £5 chip pan my wife bought me for my birthday 10 years ago – which has never failed me. So away I went. Stage one involved marinating a chicken, cut into eight pieces. I do have the knife skills for that, but not the patience, so I bought a mixed pack of skin-on, bone-in drumsticks and thighs from the supermarket. These are then immersed overnight in a bath of buttermilk, pepper, salt, turmeric, cumin, hot paprika, cayenne pepper, sliced onion and finely chopped garlic cloves – and the signature ingredient, saffron which, famously, is more expensive, gram for gram, than gold. It has become more readily available recently – look in the spice rack of a decent supermarket – and comes in mini jars containing little more than a pinch. But it has a powerful, pungent, smoky quality and a little goes a long way (see page 12 for more on saffron). For this recipe, I infused a pinch in boiling water for a few minutes and added to the marinade. Next came the dredge – a blend of three flours (plain, cornmeal and cornflour) plus four spices, sugar and salt. Shake off the excess marinade and heavily coat. Then it was in to the pre-heated (to 150C) chip pan, in batches, for around 20 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken reached 70C.
After a short time resting on a rack, the results were incredible: crunchy coating, juicy flesh and an earthy flavour. Dressed with a ‘gravy’ made from whizzed tahini, water and lemon juice, it was truly the next level up on your usual high street experience.