Daddy’s Not-so-Secret Crispy Chicken Recipe

I posted an Instagram picture recently of a weekend tea-time meal I made with the help of my eldest daughter, she really is a far better baker than me, you should try her cookies but that’s another post. We had dough balls ( they are both big fans of Pizza Express – good job I used to be a Pizza trainer and learnt how to make them properly ), a big salad for Mummy, and Daddy’s Not-so-Secret Crispy Chicken Wings*. If you want a recipe for a chicken wing with a little more bite try my recipe for the Best Oven Baked Buffalo Wings Ever.

Now if I have a weakness for ‘junk food’ it is Southern Fried Chicken, I don’t have a pressure fryer like a certain well know high street chain, which is one of the secrets to producing a piece of crisp coated moist chicken but after a fair few attempts I do have an excellent recipe for well-seasoned coating and tender chicken. While Daddy’s Not-so-Secret Crispy Chicken Wings recipe doesn’t have anywhere near the 10 -12 herbs and spices in the famous secret Kentucky recipe** it has gone down great guns in lots of pubs, bars, and restaurants. I’m not worried you can share the recipe to and try your own variations.

*You can substitute thighs, drumsticks and chicken breasts.

**There is a copy of the recipe right here in Jersey.

Daddy’s Not-so-Secret Crispy Chicken Recipe

Proper Southern Fried Chicken calls for Buttermilk but it is still quite difficult to get hold off and relatively expensive. The slight acidity that helps to tenderise the chicken is easily replaced with a few tablespoons of natural yogurt.

For the Marinade

1 small Chicken cut into pieces 18 Chicken Wings, tips removed

or 8 medium Chicken Thighs

1 small pot of Natural Yoghurt

1 teaspoon fine Sea Salt

Juice of 1 freshly squeezed Lemon

2 cloves of Garlic, peeled and crushed

½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

For the Coating

200 gr fine Polenta

100 gr Self Raising Flour

3 teaspoons Smoked Paprika

1 level teaspoon fine Sea Salt

1 teaspoon dried Thyme

½ teaspoon dried Oregano

½ Celery Salt

½ teaspoon Black Pepper

½ teaspoon dried Coriander

Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190 C / Gas Mark 5. Prepare a large non-stick baking tray by wiping with a little vegetable oil. In a large non-reactive glass or plastic bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic salt and Cayenne pepper together. Add the chicken and stir to coat completely, cover with cling film and leave in a refrigerator for at least two hours. Thoroughly mix the coating ingredients and when the chicken is ready, cover each chicken piece liberally in the spiced polenta.

Arrange the coated chicken on the prepared baking tray and drizzle with more vegetable oil. Bake on the lowest shelf in your oven for thirty minutes until the chicken is golden brown. Using tongs, carefully turn each piece of chicken and bake for five minutes longer for wings ( ten to fifteen minutes for drumsticks, large breast pieces, and chicken thighs ), or until the undersides are golden. Place the chicken pieces on kitchen paper to drain off excess fat then transfer to plates and serve.

The chicken can be baked ahead, chilled and served cold for picnics and buffets.

What to Drink? These Chicken wings are best paired German-style Riesling wines or hoppy Continental-style Pilsner lagers and IPA beers.