Ingredients

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2.5-3 kg assorted chicken thighs, drumsticks, and (whole) wings. Bone in, skin on. 

3-4 l of vegetable oil 

Seasoning mix

4 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder

4 tbsp smoked paprika

4 tbsp garlic powder

3 tbsp dried oregano 

2 tbsp salt

1.5 tbsp onion powder

1.5 tbsp dried parsley 

1 tbsp black pepper

2 tsp MSG

Brine 

500 ml buttermilk 

2 eggs 

Additional 1.5 tbsp salt

3-4 tbsp plain flour 

½ seasoning mix

Dredge

250g plain flour

180g rice flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ seasoning mix

Flaky sea salt to finish

I fell in love with good, ‘homestyle’ fried chicken living in the states. Returning to the UK, I’ve been horrified to learn that – for whatever reason – we just don’t do it here. There’s plenty of fried chicken, but nothing that seems to match the best places in the US. I’ve spent a bit of time researching and practicing how to make it myself as I’m not going to simply live without it.

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Fried Chicken has a complex and challenging history. The dish has antecedents in both Scottish and West African cuisine. The form we know today was likely pioneered by enslaved Africans in the American South and spread rapidly following emancipation. Like many traditional ‘slave foods’ – indeed perhaps more than any other – it became associated with racist stereotypes. Black Americans are shown eating it in Birth of a Nation, for instance. 

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I find there can still be a certain snobbery around it today. A result of over a century of classism, it’s use as an anti-Black racist trope, and, in some ways, its own success; this is a food that has conquered the world. It was the first dish to be franchised and, as a consequence, can now often be viewed as a fast-food, ‘low culture’ product. This wasn’t necessarily the case historically - in its origins it was often understood as a ‘special occasion’ dish – a centrepiece for family meals, celebrations, and the like. I think this later conception of it is still the case for many families that make it themselves, rather than as a take out option. 

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To really do it justice does require a bit of time, prep, and love. That’s part of the fun, and it really is worth doing right. This recipe is a reasonably classic ‘homestyle’ approach. I’m a big believer in bone in skin on. This method should get you the ‘holly union’ where the skin fuses to the batter in a single layer of crispness. I used to butcher a whole bird, now I increasingly just use the dark meat portions. I find most people prefer these and it makes cooking easier as you can cook everything to the same temp. Talking of temp, conventional wisdom is to take dark meat to 175. I go even higher – 185 or so. (If you are doing white meat, you need to err the other way. Take it off at 160 sharp)

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My only real innovation here is the use of Kashmiri chili as the heat element (cayenne, or black or white pepper would be the usual). I like the flavour of Kashmiris and, because they’re milder than cayenne, I can add more and get the taste of chilli in the finished product without making it too hot. (The result won’t be spicy; I prefer to add heat at the end with a hot sauce.)

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Will serve 6 generously (half this for a smaller portion). I serve this with homemade white rolls, coleslaw, blue cheese sauce, and hot sauces – franks is a classic, my Kashmiri hot sauce also goes well here. My wife likes it with chilli and honey. The pic shows it with flatbreads and spicy baked beans. 

1. Pre-prep: Mix the seasoning mix. Set aside half in a sealed container. Add the rest to the other brine ingredients and whisk together. If you need to separate drumsticks from thighs do that (leave the wings whole) and add all your chicken to the brine in a large non-reactive bowl and combine.  Cover with clingfilm so all the meat is submerged. Leave in the fridge for at least one, ideally three, days. 
    

2. Day of prep: Whisk together all of the dredge ingredients in a large bowl. If you have a large cast iron or enamle pot (5l plus), fill it halway up with oil and heat. (If you don’t, a wok also works well here). Heat to about 300 f (the cook temp should be around 260-270, it’ll come down as you add the meat). 
    

3. To cook: In batches of 4-5 pieces, take your chicken (it should carry a thin layer of the brine with it) and place in the dredge. Toss so everything is throughly coated, shake off any excess and gently place each piece invididually in the oil. Monitor the temp to maintain 260-270 cooking temp. Don’t touch it for 6 minutes, then gently flip. Cook for anouther 6 minutes and use a meat thermomiter to check the thickest piece of thigh. Pull everything at around 185.
    

4. Cook the reaminder of the chicken this way, placing on a wire rack to dry when done. I find you get a better crisp dredging each batch just before it goes in the oil, but opinions differ on this. 
    

5. Finalise anything you need to do for your sides, clean etc. When ready to serve, bring your oil up to 320-330 (for a cook temp of 300-310). Return the cooked chicken to the pan in batches, this time for a quick 2-3 minute second fry, turning once halfway. Remove and place on either anouther wire rack, or a large bowl lined with kitchen paper. Immediately season with sea salt as they come out. When done, serve straight away (it’ll need 4-5 minutes to cool, but the first batches will be done as the last ones are coming out).