Fried chicken

SERVES 4- 6

This fried-then-baked chicken is well worth the effort. I love fried chicken and like to kid myself this recipe is not as unhealthy as a fully deep-fried version so I can eat twice as much. Dig in!

1 free- range chicken, cut into

10 pieces (each breast cut in half)

½ cup buttermilk or

unsweetened yoghurt

1 tsp salt

BATTER

2 large eggs

¼ cup water

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

FLOUR COATING

1 cup flour

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp white pepper

½ tsp chilli powder

Oil, for frying

Lemon wedges, to serve

1 Once you’ve cut up the chicken (reserve the frame to make a homemade stock), place the pieces in a bowl with the buttermilk and salt, then mix to coat. Leave for a few hours or overnight.

2 In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the water and seasoning to combine. Add the coating ingredients to a plastic bag and mix. Set out a cake rack.

3 Take a chicken portion from the buttermilk mixture (letting any excess drain off) and toss it in the flour bag to coat. Remove and drag through the batter (again, let the excess drain off), then back into the flour for a second time. Set aside on the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Leave for 15-20 minutes or until the outside appears wet. This is the trick to getting crispy chicken.

4 Heat oven to 180°C. Pour the oil into frying pan to 3- 4cm depth and heat to medium. Fry chicken in batches, transferring to a baking dish when each is golden. Bake until cooked through – about 30- 40 minutes.

5 Serve with coleslaw and lemon wedges.