Comfort Fried Chicken with Kale Greens

The Recipe

Serves: 3-4 people
Preparation: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Inspired and influenced by my research on fried chicken - in Southern USA, chicken is served with collard greens, however I decided to keep the greens fresh, crisp and green.

Chicken no sauce.JPG

I know, I know - everyone has their own style and way to make the ultimate fried chicken.    This recipe requires only a short amount of time to marinate the chicken rather than an overnight brine. 

Inspired and influenced by my research on fried chicken - in Southern USA, chicken is served with collard greens, however I decided to keep the greens fresh, crisp and green.

If you want to dig in deeper about the history of fried chicken, you can indulge HERE , if not proceed to make this super crispy chicken.

 

INGREDIENTS

Chicken
650g chicken with the skin on (thigh, drumstick or breast)
Oil for frying (low smoke point oil such as canola or vegetable works)

Marinade
50mls good soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp brown sugar
¼ tsp cayenne powder
20g good extra virgin olive oil

Coating
50g plain flour
80g cornflour
3 tsp dried oregano
1½tsp white pepper
3 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
2 tblsp black sesame seeds
1 egg

The Salad
10 – 15 cherry tomatoes,  cut into quarters
2-3 large leaves of kale, stripped of inner stem and finely chopped, sprinkle lightly with salt to take out some of the bitterness
1 medium-sized carrot, peeled and finely diced

Dressing
3 heaped teaspoons of good mayonnaise
1 tblsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp honey
1 tsp white pepper
½ tsp black pepper

METHOD

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a medium-sized bowl
2. Add in the chicken and marinate for 30 minutes
3. Beat the egg lightly in a separate bowl
4. Mix all the coating ingredients until combined
5. After the chicken has been marinated, take some of the marinade and mix it through the coating. This creates lumps in the coating which makes the chicken extra crispy!
6. Dip the chicken into the egg and then into the coating mixture. Press the chicken well with the coating mixture and place on a tray, repeat until all chicken is ready to fry
7. Heat up the oil, it should be at about 160’c. You know when the oil is done if you throw in some flour and it starts to sizzle. Keep the oil at a constant temperature – if it is too high, the coating will burn and the chicken won’t cook. If you are unsure you can always use a thermometer.
8. While the oil is heating up, mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl
9. Also, combine all of the dressing ingredients
10. Fry the chicken until golden brown, place on a cake cooler or grill similar to allow the chicken to crisp up
11. Mix the dressing through the salad, serve with some generous pieces of crispy fried chicken