I have been dreaming about making Phil these for over a year, but to be honest frying scares me (and has never worked with the breading always coming off), so I consulted Kenji-Lopez Alt's "The Food Lab" for guidance, and boy did he steer me in the right direction. By following his tips and tricks, I was able to make fried chicken that was juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside.
If frying and oil freaks you out, use a small pan - that way you use less oil and can control the frying environment. Lastly, strain the oil through a fine mesh sieve lined with some paper towel and store in a glass jar, label it and use two more times before throwing away (if you fried fish then you can only use the oil once).
Serves: 4
Time: Overnight
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
Patty
4 Chicken Thighs (Skinless and deboned)
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 large egg
2 Tbsp Paprika
2 Tsp dried oregano
2 Tsp Onion Powder
1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
3 medium cloves of garlic
1.5 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1 Tsp baking powder
Sandwich
6 Cups Vegetable Oil
4 Hamburger Buns
4 Dill Pickles (Sliced) -optional
Salted butter
Sriracha Sauce
Slaw
200g Shredded Red and White Cabbage
1/3 cup mayo
4 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tsp Maple Syrup/Honey
Salt & Pepper to taste
Method
To make the spice mix mix together the paprika, oregano, onion powder and cayenne pepper with a fork.
Whisk the buttermilk, egg, 1tsp salt and 2 tbsp of the spice mix and the crushed garlic in a medium bowl before adding the chicken breasts and tossing to coat well. Transfer to a large resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
When ready to fry heat the oil in pot to 190 C.
Mix the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, 2 tsp salt and the remaining spice mixture together in a large bowl. Add 3 Tbsp of marinade from the plastic bag and work it into the flour with your hands- this will help it stick to the chicken better.
Coat each chicken thigh in the flour mixture while pressing with your hands to get a thick, adherent coating. Shake off excess flour before adding to the oil to fry for about 7 minutes and golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a paper towel lined bowl/plate to drain.
While the chicken breasts are frying slice the buns and place under a hot grill for about 5 minutes making sure to watch them carefully so they don't burn.
Once toasted, butter the rolls and rub with a halved clove of garlic.
To prepare the slaw mix all ingredients together and leave in the fridge until ready to serve
Assemble the sandwich by placing a swirl of Sriracha on the bottom bun, followed by 4 pickles sliced, the patty and top with slaw.
Happy Eating!
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