Buttermilk fried chicken

1 hour + marinating time ■ Serves 4 ■ EASY

Soaking the chicken in buttermilk tenderises the meat and helps the crispy coating stick.

chicken thighs and drumsticks 1.5 kg, skin on bone in, any excess skin trimmed
buttermilk 2 x 284ml cartons
onion 1, peeled and sliced
plain flour 200g
groundnut oil for frying
sea salt flakes
SPICE MIX
paprika 3 tsp
garlic salt 1 tsp
celery salt 1 tsp
cayenne 1/2 tsp
dried thyme 1 tsp

■ Toss the chicken pieces in a bowl with the buttermilk, onion and some seasoning. Cover and leave for 3-4 hours.
■ Heat the oven to200C/fan180C/gas 6. Put a large roasting rack over a roasting tin. Put the spice mix and flour on a large flat plate. Add a generous amount of seasoning and toss together. Take each piece of chicken and shake, leaving excess marinade and the onion behind. Toss in the spiced flour to coat.
■ Heat 2cm oil in a large deep non-stick frying pan until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Add the chicken in batches of 3 or 4 pieces and fry for a few minutes on all sides until light golden (don't let them get too dark as you are going to cook them in the oven). Carefully transfer each piece to the roasting rack and tray. When all the pieces have had their initial frying, put in the oven on a low shelf for 30-35 minutes to finish cooking. Serve hot sprinkled with sea salt.

Buttermilk fried chicken