1Break down a whole chicken into individual pieces and cut the breasts in half if they are large.
2Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl.
3Add buttermilk, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder, chopped bird's eye chillies, lemon juice, lemon zest, and chili oil to the chicken.
4Mix thoroughly to ensure all chicken pieces are covered.
5Marinate the chicken for a minimum of a few hours, or ideally overnight.
6For the coating, combine flour, cornflour, salt, pepper, and additional spices (smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder) in a bowl and mix well.
7About 15-20 minutes before frying, take the chicken out of the marinade and coat it thoroughly in the dredge, applying pressure to ensure the flour adheres.
8Let the coated chicken sit for 15-20 minutes.
9Heat oil to about 175 degrees C (160-170°C as per description) for the first fry.
10Carefully place the chicken into the hot oil.
11Gently cook the chicken for about 10-15 minutes (10-12 mins as per description), until cooked through and golden.
12Remove the chicken from the oil and let it rest.
13Increase the oil temperature to about 185-190 degrees C for the second fry.
14Fry the chicken again until it is very crispy and crunchy.
15Season the fried chicken generously with sea salt while it is still hot.
16Serve with twice-fried plantains, chili yogurt sauce, palm nut dipping sauce, and crispy tofu bites.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken
500 ml buttermilk
2 bird's eye chillies, chopped
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 lemon, zest + juice of
1 tbsp oil
300 g flour
100 g cornflour
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt
pepper
sea salt
Equipment
big bowl
Tips
Marinate chicken for a minimum of a few hours, but preferably overnight.
Let the coated chicken sit for 15-20 minutes before frying to hydrate the coating, which creates extra crispy bits.
Season generously with sea salt while the fried chicken is still hot for better adherence.