This week's recipe can make for messy eating but I'm confident you'll find the flavours more than compensate, bringing an Asian influence to the table through not only the frying but also the sticky peanut glaze. You can minimise the prep by asking your butcher to cut the chicken into pieces, or simply buy portions instead. Before you do any of that, however, make sure you have a deep-fat fryer for cooking the chicken.
Buttermilk fried Korean-style chicken
Serves 4
Peanut glaze
10g root ginger
1 red chilli, seeds removed
20ml rice wine vinegar
300g tomato ketchup
125ml soya sauce
20g brown sugar
20g Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic
200g peanuts
200ml water
30g sesame oil
Chicken
400g plain flour
5g black pepper
10g smoked paprika
10g sea salt
5g cayenne pepper
20g baking powder
1 whole chicken (1.6-2kg)
400g buttermilk
30g sesame seeds
Preheat the deep-fat fryer to 170C and the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4.
First make the peanut glaze. Peel the root ginger and add it to a food processor along with the chilli, rice wine vinegar, tomato ketchup, soya sauce, brown sugar, mustard, garlic, peanuts, water and sesame oil. Blend to a smooth sauce before placing aside in a large mixing bowl.
Now start the chicken by combining the flour, black pepper, paprika, sea salt, cayenne pepper and baking powder in a bowl. Whisk to distribute the ingredients evenly and divide the mixture between two large mixing bowls. Pour the buttermilk into a third bowl and set a wire rack on a baking tray.
Next, cut the chicken into pieces, separating the legs, wings and breasts.
Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, shake off the excess and set the pieces on the wire rack. Dip the pieces in the buttermilk, then dredge them through the second bowl of flour before returning them to the rack.
Fry the chicken in two batches at 170C, turning occasionally, for 12 minutes until golden brown before removing to a clean rack and placing in the oven for 10 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the oven and toss it in the peanut glaze. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top then serve.
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