Food-safe bucket or bowl large enough for the chicken
Deep fryer or large, heavy-based saucepan
Rack-lined baking tray
Instant-read thermometer (not essential, but highly recommended)
Ingredients
1whole chicken
½tspdried marjoram
½tspdried basil
½tspdried oregano
½tspdried sage
1tspcelery salt
1tspwhite pepper
4tspsmoked paprika
1tspcayenne pepper
½tspground all-spice
2tspgarlic powder
2tsponion salt
1tspMSG
500mlbuttermilk
500gflourapprox.
Salt
Rice Krispiesa handful (optional)
Corn flakesa handful (optional)
Vegetable oilfor frying (approx. 1 litre)
For the gravy
1Tbspbutter
1Tbspflour.
500mlchicken stock
A dash of soy sauce
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
In a jar or bowl with a lid, combine all of the herbs and spices. Set aside until needed.
Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper and break into 10 pieces (see above), and prick all pieces with a fork or skewer.
In a food-safe bucket or bowl large enough for the chicken, add the buttermilk, 1 tablespoon of the spice blend, and an additional pinch of salt. Add the chicken, mix to combine, cover with a lid or cling film and refrigerate for 4-12 hours, mixing at least once during this time.
In a large oven dish or bowl, add 500 grams of flour, a good pinch of salt, the remaining herbs and spice mixture, a handful of Rice Krispies or corn flakes (if using), and a tablespoon of the buttermilk marinade. Mix to combine.
Coat all of the chicken in the flour mix and leave to sit for around 10 minutes, while heating the oil for deep-frying.
Half fill a deep fryer or large, heavy-based saucepan with vegetable oil (or another oil with a high smoke point) and heat to 350-375F (190C).
Once the oil has reached the correct heat, fry the chicken in batches. Leg meat takes slightly longer to cook, so I’d recommend cooking in the following order, dependent on the size of your pan or fryer: thighs, drumsticks, breast pieces, wings. Don’t overcrowd the pan though, or the chicken will stick together and the oil could overflow, causing a huge safety hazard.
The leg meat should be cooked to 175F, while the white meat should register at 165F. (If you don’t have a thermometer, cut one piece close to the bone and make sure the juices run clear).
Once golden and fully cooked, after 10-15 minutes, gently remove the batch of fried chicken from the oil, season with salt, and place on a rack-lined baking tray in a low oven, to keep warm.
Continue until all chicken is cooked through.
To make the easiest fried chicken gravy
While the chicken is preparing, melt a tablespoon of butter in a sauce pan before adding a heaped tablespoon of flour.
Cook over a low heat, whisking constantly, until the raw flour cooks off and you have a blonde roux.
Keep mixing while slowly pouring the hot chicken stock into the pan, whisking until a good gravy consistency is reached.
Add a generous dash of both soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, then finish with some of the chicken breading run-off, left over from frying in the oil, to add intensity to the gravy. Taste and check for seasoning before serving. Optionally add a pinch of MSG to further enhance the flavour.