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Chicken fried in Batter

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Succulent Chicken, Crispy Batter…party food doesn’t get much more appetising than this! Over time, you’ll work out how to adjust the tastes with different marinades – if you like softer chicken, add more lemon juice, if you like it crisper, add more oil and if you feel like experimenting, make some with chilli paste in the marinade.

battered chicken

Serves 8
1kg boneless chicken
5 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
3 crushed garlic cloves
12 tbsp plain flour
Vegetable oil (for deep frying)
3 beaten eggs
Salt and pepper

1. Strip most of the fat of off the Chicken, before cutting it into chunks that are about 4cm thick, and a mixture of lengths.
2. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl, then add the chicken and mix well – use your hands to make sure that it’s fully covered
3. Leave to marinate for at least an hour in a fridge
4. Spread the flour on a plate, mixed with a pinch of salt and pepper
5. Take the Chicken out of the marinade, removing any excess.
6. Heat the oil to 180 C/ 350 F
6. Cover the chicken in the flour, and then in the beaten egg. Drop into the oil immediately. CAUTION: Make sure you’re very careful with this step. This is very hot oil, and can burn your skin very easily. If you’ve got a fryer with a basket, use that. If not, be extra careful. If you do get any burns, read this article
7. Fry for about 5 minutes, until golden brown, before taking out of the pan, and drying on a piece of crumpled kitchen paper

It’s Fry Day!

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Because it’s Friday, because I had a great day shopping with my husband, and because I’ve been so good about staying away from the sweets, I’m sharing with you my recipe no-fail homemade French Fries today.

But first: these aren’t baked fries. They’re deep-fried fries, which- I have to say- are so much better.

For a long time, I was afraid of deep-frying. Hello, kitchen fires? But then I realized that as long as I follow these easy guidelines, I had nothing to fear:

Tips for Deep Frying

  • Use good, fresh oil. It shouldn’t smell rancid. I like Peanut or Sunflower, because Canola has a weird aftertaste for me.
  • Use a deep, very heavy pot. You must leave at least two inches of space at the top of the pan after you’ve added your oil. This is your “safety margin”.
  • Begin heating the oil on medium-high. You want to bring your temperature up to around 350F, but don’t start off with a super high flame. Be patient.
  • Use the right temperature. Invest in a deep fat frying thermometer. It doesn’t cost much, and you can use it for making candy too!
  • Dry your food. You don’t want to go throwing something wet in your boiling oil. Dry your meat or potatoes or whatever it is you’re frying with a paper towel.
  • Be careful when frying. Always add food to the boiling oil away from you, to minimize the risk of hot oil spattering on you.
  • Don’t crowd the pot. Keep in mind that whenever you add something to the hot oil, its temperature will drop. So take your time, and let your oil come back up to the proper temperature between batches.

My recipe for “Don’t Fear the Fryer” Homemade French Fries is coming up next!