I always associate fried chicken with takeaways, to be eaten piping hot on the street in the early hours: delicious, deep-fried golden loveliness to send you home to sleep soundly.
My conscience hasn’t allowed me to buy fried chicken for some years now. I reach the counter and begin to panic about where it originated; how far has this poor chook really flown in order to be battered? So in an attempt to satisfy my cravings, I’ve begun to make this takeaway special at home. I do have a more complicated batter-based recipe, but this quick and easy version still gives all the crunch and texture of the original. So there’s no need to make a batter, and a mess, when you want homemade fried chicken.
I always try to buy organic Irish chicken at best, but free range at the very least. It results in a nicer-tasting supper. I rarely use chicken breasts, finding them quite lacking in flavour compared with the darker meat, but they are perfect for this dish. The chicken will be cut into strips – real finger food – to be fried quickly and eaten hot.
Cajun spices
Instead of a batter, I simply use seasoned flour. Add whatever seasoning you want. I’ve just used salt and pepper here, but you could add cajun spices, chilli or curry powder. If you are adding a little garam masala to the flour mix, it is nice to add a little to the slaw too, along with a handful of raisins, toasted almonds and freshly chopped coriander. You could serve with a warm naan bread or fill a pitta bread with the crispy chicken. There are plenty of variations.
If you don’t have flour in the house, ground almonds will do – just take care they don’t burn. Or I sometimes blitz oats in the food processor until it is a fine flour.
I’m amazed that my children love red cabbage. It has encouraged me to eat more of it. It adds great crunch and flavour to this slaw. A good coleslaw has to have carrots, and this one is no different. In summer I use a mixture of multicoloured heritage carrots to create a psychedelic coleslaw, but the regular orange ones are perfect too. I sometimes add some grated raw beetroot for even more nutrients and flavour.
Be aware that this will create a delightfully vivid bubblegum-pink mayonnaise. I’ve used a julienne peeler to create fine strips of carrot, but you could grate them roughly instead.
A julienne peeler costs less than €10 and is a good substitute for a spiraliser. It only creates thin strips as long as your vegetable, however, whereas the magic of a spiraliser is that it creates a seemingly unending spiral.
If you are one of those amazing people who regularly make their own mayonnaise, this is the perfect opportunity to use it. But there are plenty of great-quality, ready-made ones available. If you’re avoiding mayonnaise, then a simple vinaigrette will do.
A good green salad mix can be hard to find but it’s worth seeking out. I love sprigs of herbs, crunchy lettuce, bursts of peppery rocket and tangy sorrel leaves in my mix.
When my leaves do need a little help, I soak them in cold water for an hour or so, then dry them in the salad spinner. Handle them as little as possible so not to further bruise the delicate leaves. These steps can often revive a sad salad and bring inferior leaves to life just in time for dinner.
FRIED CHICKEN WITH SLAW & SALAD: SERVES 4
The five ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 3 medium carrots
- ¼ red cabbage
- 2 tbs mayonnaise
- Mixed green salad leaves
Store cupboard
- Olive oil
- 4 tbs flour, seasoned well with salt and pepper
Method
Place the seasoned flour in a zip-lock bag. Add the chicken strips and seal. Coat evenly.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Once it comes up to heat, add the chicken strips and cook for three minutes each side until done. Set aside on paper towels and keep warm.
Roughly grate or thinly slice the carrot and red cabbage. Place in a large bowl.
Add the mayonnaise and mix thoroughly. Serve alongside the fried chicken with a green salad.
Every Thursday we’ll tweet the five ingredients from @irishtimeslife so you can have them ready for Friday. Email givemefive@irishtimes.com with your suggestions for recipes.
