Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Fries & Slaw

Well, isn’t this just a thing of beauty. I’ve tried a few fried chicken recipes over the years, this one is by far the best. Just look at it!

So last night, my friend Charlotte (Cee for short) came round and I hadn’t seen her in a long while. She’s been living in Austraila on a working holiday, then travelling the world for the last 6 months and this was the first time I’d seen her in almost 3 years.

In Austrailia, she worked as a deckhand/cook on various fishing boats. Some were shrimp boats, some pearling boats. As well as getting stuck into the hard graft of the fishing, she also did a lot of cooking. A cake a day on most occasions!

We were therefore surprised (but very happy) to discover on Cee’s return that we both have found a love and comfort in food that we can now share together!

Getting our cook-on

Cee is joining me this weekend at my place in Mobberley, for a good old catch up but also to get our bake on. Last night we rustled up this amazing Buttermilk Fried Chicken (based on Gizzi Erskine’s recipe from Skinny Weeks and Weekend Feasts).

Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Fries & Slaw

Here is the recipe if you want to try it at home. It takes about 15 mins to prep, then 15-18 minutes to cook each batch of chicken (depending on how much you use). This recipe serves 4 hungry people.

What you need:

• 2 free range eggs
• 100ml buttermilk
• 50ml ice cold water
• 30-50ml hot sauce (I used 50ml of Encona Original Hot Pepper Sauce)
• 150g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 6 chicken drumsticks
• 4 chicken thighs
• Oil for frying, I used approx. 1.5L vegetable oil

What to do:

1. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or in a wok over a medium-high heat, to 180°C. If you don’t have a Thermometer and are using the wok method (like me) then don’t let the oil smoke – if it does it is too hot. Use a small piece of bread to test it first, if the bread browns nicely after a few seconds – it’s ready.
2. Beat the eggs and buttermilk together with the water in a bowl, then stir in the hot sauce.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour, black pepper, white pepper, salts and garlic powder.
4. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, then coat well in the seasoned flour.
5. Fry the chicken in the oil in batches, starting with the thighs as they take the longest (17-18 minutes). Then the drumsticks, which take about 15 minutes.
6. Tip: To check if the chicken is cooked, take a piece out of the fryer using a slotted spoon and cut open to check the meat is no longer pink.
7. When ready, drain on kitchen paper and serve (they will keep warm in the oven whilst you cook the next batch).

This recipe really was delicious and so perfect for a weekend treat! I served this with homemade coleslaw (recipe to follow) and regular oven fries seasoned with plenty of salt & pepper.

If you try this recipe I would love to hear how you get on! Use the hashtag #sophiesscran in your photos.