Quarantine Fried Chicken (QFC)

Just as the name suggest I worked on this recipe in the early weeks of covid, when my delivery kitchen was forced to shut down due to the crises the world was facing. I didn’t quite go down the Sourdough route. Our neighborhood KFC was unserviceable for considerable period so we decided to take matters into our own hands. Here’s the recipe to a very nice rendition of Southern Fried Chicken. 

Ingredients:

Buttermilk marinade:

• Amul chhas or any chhas – 2 pkts (small tetra)

• Salt: 1.5 tsp

• Pepper: 0.5 tsp

• red chilly powder: 2 tsp

• Chaat masala/ amchur: 0.5 tsp (opt). 

• Ginger garlic paste

Chicken:

• Drumsticks: 10 or so

Dry rub:

• 1 part (rice flour)

• 1 part maida

• Salt to taste

• Pepper powder

• Any mixed herbs, chilly flakes

• Garlic/onion powder (optional)

Wet batter:

• Egg – 1 whole

• Maida – (1/2 cup)

• Rice flour – (1/4cup)

• Salt

• Garam masala (optional)

• Water – around 1 cup (add so that it’s a thick batter like idli batter consistency).

• Oil- 3 tbsp

(I didn’t have the egg so I omitted it). Adjust water accordingly.

Outer coating:

To the dry rub further add:

• Cornflakes: 1.5 cups (grind in mixer but don’t powder)

• Salt

• Herbs

Method:

1. Wash the chicken and drain excess water.

2. Make deep cuts on the drumsticks with a sharp knife (3-4 on each pc).

3. Prepare the buttermilk mixture and whisk it nicely, then add the chicken and keep refrigerated (overnight or at least for 3 hours at room temp.

4. Prepare the dry rub.

5. Prepare the thick batter.

6. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk drain excess, and add coat in the dry rub. Let it rest for 20-30 mins.

7. Heat up the oil on medium low flame.

8. Take the coated chicken, dip in thick batter shake off the excess, coat in the cornflakes and flour mixture, dust excess and deep fry on medium low flame. Cook max of 5 pc at a time. Don’t touch the chicken for the next 3-4 mins. Just circulate the oil. 

9. After 5 mins rotate the chicken for even browning. 

10. Take it out after 6 mins on the other side or until a fragile crust is formed.

11. Drain in a colander / wire rack (not on tissues (steam will make coating soggy).

12. Let the chicken rest for about 15-20 mins. 

13. Reheat the oil, now on medium to high flame. 

14. Drop in chicken pieces and fry for around 2-3 mins or until colour starts to turn brown. The meat will start to shrink near the base of the drumstick. That’s when its cooked. 

15. Drain on a cooling rack again, dab with tissues.

16. Serve hot with mayo/ ketchup or Tabasco.