750gchickenbone in, skin-on (I used drumsticks and thighs)
400mlbuttermilkor use dairy-free/lactose-free milk and add 5 tbsp of lemon juice and allow to sit for 10 minutes to thicken
For the coating
125ggluten free plain flour
65gcornflourcornstarch or potato starch (you can use all flour but more starch helps make it crispier)
1tspsmoked paprika
1tsporegano
1tspmarjoram
1tspsage
1tspwhite pepper
1tspsalt
Instructions
Place your chicken into a large mixing bowl and pour your buttermilk over the top, making sure the chicken is well coated. Allow to sit for as long as you can. 12 hours in the fridge would be great, but often I just leave mine for 15 minutes and it still works really well.
Grab a plate and add all of the ingredients for the coating. Gently mix until everything is well dispersed and consistent.
Half fill a large, deep saucepan with vegetable oil and place over a medium heat. Heat until it reaches 170C - I check this with a digital cooking thermometer. If you don't have one, you can always submerge the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil - if small bubbles form around the handle, then it's very likely it's ready to fry!
Whilst waiting for your oil to heat, roll as many pieces of your buttermilk-coated chicken in the coating as will comfortably fit on the plate. The more buttermilk and coating on your chicken, the more mind-blowing your crispy coating will be!
Once heated, gently lower the coated chicken into the oil - it should gently sizzle as you put it in and bubble up more rapidly as liquid escapes from the chicken. This is why we only half fill the pan!
After around 10 minutes for chicken drumsticks and 12-15 minutes for chicken thighs, your chicken should be done. If your coating darkens before you even reach 10 minutes, then your oil is definitely too hot!
Use a pair of kitchen tongs or a slotted spoon to carefully remove the chicken from the oil and place onto a plate lined with kitchen roll to drain. If using a digital cooking thermometer, check the chicken is cooked by probing it - it should read 75C or higher. If you don't have one, cut one of the thighs up and check that it's cooked closest to the bone.
Repeat until you've used up all your chicken. Serve with oven fries, mashed potato and lots of dips. Enjoy!