If you're a crispy chicken fan, no doubt you're dreaming of your favourite fast food whilst in lockdown – but good news, as we have a brilliant KFC-inspired recipe for you to cook at home. Jordan Moore, senior recipe developer at recipe box company Gousto has created a similar dish, with the crispiest chicken skin and gravy to top it off.
Jordan says: "Stick them in a bucket or serve them on a plate, these drumsticks use six herbs and spices that we bet you’ve already got knocking around in your spice rack, and are the perfect bank holiday weekend treat. We’ve used cornflour in this recipe to give the drumsticks an extra crunchy coating."
INGREDIENTS
Serves two
Ingredients for crispy chicken
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1kg chicken drumsticks
- 1.5 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 150g plain flour
- 45g cornflour
MORE: Joe Wicks' hearty chicken pie recipe is our kind of supper!
INSTRUCTIONS
How to make crispy chicken
Step 1
Add the dry ingredients to a tray and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.
Step 2
Toss the chicken with the spiced flour mixture, then coat them in the egg and milk mixture and then return them to the flour tray.
Step 3
Once all your chicken has been coated with the egg, drizzle around 1 tbsp leftover egg mixture into the flour to create little clusters that will stick to the chicken and get extra crispy when frying. Then, using clean hands make sure that all the drumsticks are covered with the spiced flour.
Step 4
Heat a large, deep pan with about 7-10cm of oil, over a medium-high heat until it registers between 175-190C or until a small scrap of bread dropped in bubbles and rises to the surface.
Step 5
Gently add the drumsticks to the hot oil, being careful to place them away from you so the oil doesn’t splash you. You want them in a single layer, so cook them in batches.
Step 6
Fry for 10 minutes, cooking until golden brown and crispy, and cooked all the way through - no pink meat!
Jordan’s top tip:
"To make sure the skin is extra-crispy, drain on a wire rack over a tray lined with kitchen paper for a few minutes to allow the excess oil to drain off. If you are cooking in batches, place the tray (without the kitchen roll!) in a low heat oven to keep warm."
MORE: How to make sourdough: the bread everyone is making in lockdown right now
For the gravy:
Jordan says: "This gravy is perfectly paired with succulent fried chicken or ideal for upping your Sunday roast game. We heard that a certain colonel says the secret to your favourite takeaway gravy is to use the drippings at the bottom of the chicken frying pan as your gravy base. But don’t worry - olive oil works just as well."
Ingredients for crispy chicken gravy
- 1 Kallo chicken stock cube
- 2 tsp marmite
- 2 tbsp fried chicken drippings or olive oil
- 2 tbsp flour Instructions for crispy chicken gravy
Step 1
Dissolve the stock cube and marmite in 450ml boiled water.
Step 2
Add fried chicken drippings to a pot over a medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp [2 tbsp] flour and cook for 30 secs until a sandy paste has formed.
Step 3
Add stock to the pan and simmer for 4-5 min, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a gravy-like consistency.
Jordan’s top tip:
"We find that freezing the leftover drippings in a lidded container means that they are ready to scoop and use whenever you want, adding a spicy umami kick to your gravy."
Gousto offers 50 recipes a week, delivering precise ingredients and easy-to-follow recipe cards directly to doors across the UK. Prices start from £2.98 per meal including free delivery 7 days a week. For more information visit gousto.co.uk.