Hot Honey Fried Chicken
by Fatima Saib
from The Hungry Table
“If there is one dish my husband often talks about, it’s this one. This was also the hardest dish for me to shoot for this book, simply because I was standing so close to the burger, smelling the crispy chicken, melted cheese and pickles – I couldn’t wait to take a bite!”
Introduction
“The first time I made this chicken, we pulled out my double electric hot plate and fried half a chicken braai-pack – it was that incredible. My husband and I stood in silence for what felt like hours, only breaking it to gush about how delicious the chicken was while the hot honey dripped down our chins, fingers and arms. For the next three days, I made two more batches and invited friends over to share. Needless to say, it impressed every single time! It does take some effort to fry the pieces, but it is well worth the wait.”
Ingredients (makes 4)
For the crumb coating
|
1½ cups |
cake wheat flour |
|
2 Tbsp |
cornflour |
|
1½ tsp |
chilli powder |
|
1¼ tsp |
cayenne pepper |
|
1½ tsp |
onion powder |
|
1½ tsp |
garlic powder |
|
2 tsp |
smoked paprika |
|
¾ tsp |
salt |
|
¾ tsp |
baking powder |
|
1 tsp |
dried chilli flakes |
For the marinade
|
2 cups |
plain yoghurt |
|
|
All the same spices and quantities as above |
|
1 Tbsp |
pickle juice (juice from a jar of gherkins) |
|
¼ cup |
hot sauce (I like Sriracha or Nando’s Mild Sauce) |
|
1 |
Lemon’s-worth zest |
|
5 |
chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise |
For the hot honey sauce
|
150g |
butter |
|
¼ cup |
honey or maple syrup |
|
1 tsp |
smoked paprika |
|
pinch |
salt |
|
|
Oil, for deep-frying |
Method
Make the crumb coating by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix together the ingredients for the marinade (except the chicken) until combined. Add the chicken and mix until coated all over. If you have the time, leave the chicken to marinate for 30–60 minutes, otherwise continue as indicated.
In the meantime, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and allow the excess marinade to drip off. Coat the chicken in the crumb coating a few times, ensuring the pieces are fully coated all over. Set aside each piece on a wire rack while you work to coat all the pieces, allowing the chicken to form a ‘crust’.
Heat a pot with enough oil for deep-frying over low-medium heat. Place the back of a wooden spoon into the oil to check if it is ready for frying – you should see bubbles appear around it. Carefully place the chicken pieces into the oil and fry for 5–7 minutes, or until each side is golden. Remove the chicken and transfer to a rack to drain of excess oil.
Melt the ingredients for the hot honey sauce in the microwave until runny. Once the chicken is no longer dripping with excess oil, brush each piece on both sides with the sauce.
You can serve this crispy hot honey fried chicken in so many ways. I love serving them as burgers – just make sure you cut the chicken to size before marinating and frying. Here’s how I make it:
Toasting the burger buns is an absolute must. Heat a pan and add some butter. Cut the burger buns in half and place them in the pan, cut-side down. Toast until a nice, light-golden crust forms. Top with sliced cheese (it helps to add the cheese when the bun is still hot), cheese sauce, burger mayo, pickled jalapeños, gherkins, red onion and avocado – go wild! Lastly, add the crispy hot honey fried chicken. Close the bun and enjoy!
Alternatively, you can serve the chicken pieces as is with a side salad to help balance out the richness.
Notes & Tips
I also made this with a generous handful of king oyster mushrooms that I picked up from a farmer’s market. If you want to make it with mushrooms instead of chicken, you’ll need about three large king oyster mushrooms. Tear them into smaller pieces and follow the recipe as indicated. They won’t need to fry as long as the chicken – about 3 minutes per side is plenty.
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