Southern fried chicken
INGREDIENTS
1.6kg chicken pieces (see tip)
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1¼ cups cake flour
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chilli powder olive oil in a spray bottle
to serve: extra sea salt flakes, mayonnaise and hot sauce
METHOD
1 Using a sharp knife, cut two deep slits (to the bone) in the thickest part of the meat on each chicken piece.
2 Combine the buttermilk and egg in a large bowl, then season; add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. (Allow the meat to reach room temperature again before cooking.)
3 Combine the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion flakes, oregano, salt, cumin and chilli powder in a large bowl, then season.
4 Working with one piece of chicken at a time, drain the excess buttermilk mixture from the chicken, then roll it in the flour mixture to coat it. Repeat with the remaining chicken and flour mixture. Spray generously all over with olive oil.
5 Preheat a 7.3L capacity air fryer to 200°C for 3 minutes.
6 Place the chicken in the basket; cook for 10 minutes then turn the chicken over.
7 Reset the temperature to 180°C and cook the chicken for a further 10 minutes or until crisp and cooked through. (Breast pieces might cook a bit quicker than thighs and legs.)
8 Sprinkle the chicken with extra sea salt flakes and serve with mayonnaise swirled with hot sauce.
Tip
Instead of using assorted chicken pieces, stick to one kind to ensure consistent cooking.