PFC: Philip’s Fried Chicken!

Tender strips of chicken dipped in spiced buttermilk and then a multi-spiced flour….a very tasty spiced chicken dish!

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These goujons are my take on a KFC, using skinless chicken breasts (no flabby chicken skin*) or, for the best flavour, thighs. It contains my blend of spices that gives, I think, layers of flavour rather than the somewhat bland flavour associated with KFC.

*but don’t waste the chicken skins. They are great sprinkled with salt or sliced and baked between 2 baking trays until crisp. My recipe for this is here.

I have served these spiced chicken goujons with drinks on many occasions. I sometimes go for strips of chicken, as in the photos here, but I sometimes cut the chicken into small cubes. Whichever way I shape them, they are often the first of the nibbles to be devoured.

Baked or deep-fried?

I vary between deep-frying and baking these. Both give great results although deep-frying gives you a shatteringly crisp exterior and the most tender chicken interior.

Even deep-fried, as long as the oil is at the right temperature before cooking, these are not at all greasy.

Several coats!

There are two separate coatings here: the chicken is dunked into a lightly spiced buttermilk before being dipped into well spiced flour.

This is then repeated so that you get a decent thickness of coating, which is where a lot of the flavour is, but without it becoming at all stodgy.

Chicken alternatives

I occasionally make these with Quorn pieces (think popcorn chicken) or fish: thick chunks of skinned salmon are great. I also love making them with halloumi cheese.

These versions also vanish from the serving plates quickly!

For a chicken zinger vibe, add 2 teaspoons chilli powder to the dry spice coating.

Recipe: KFC my way – serves 3 as a starter

• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into strips about 1cm thick

Wet coating:

• 300ml buttermilk or plain yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon or lime

Dry coating:

• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 5 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 5 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons mustard powder
• 200g plain flour

(1) Mix the ingredients for the wet coating together in a large bowl.

(2) Mix the ingredients for the dry coating together in a large bowl.

(3) Dip a chicken piece in the wet coating and shake off the excess back into the bowl. Pat fairly firmly into the dry coating and turn it over, patting down into the flour to give a full coating.

NB: for even more flavour  – and an even more tender chicken – marinade the chicken in the wet coating ingredients for a few hours or overnight.

(4) Repeat, this time with a lighter coating: a light dip in the buttermilk and another toss in the spiced flour. Shake off any excess flour (I toss a strip around in my hands over the flour bowl) and repeat until all the chicken strips have been coated. Set aside until needed.

(5) Deep-fry for about 8 minutes with the oil at 180C, until deep golden brown. Give them a good shake after cooking and turn them out onto kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil – although there won’t be much.

Alternatively, place the coated strips onto baking parchment and bake at 180C (fan) for about 20 minutes.

(6) If having as a starter, serve with a green salad and a dip of choice: here I have used natural yoghurt mixed with a little spiced tomato sauce – 3 parts yoghurt to 1 part sriracha sauce.