Name: Spicy Honey Butter Fried Chicken
Ingredients: 1 chicken (cut into 8-12 pieces OR 1 kg chicken wings); 2 cups buttermilk (or a mixture of yoghurt and milk); 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp crushed black pepper; 1 tsp red chilli powder or cayenne pepper; 1 tsp ginger paste; 1 tsp garlic paste; 1 tsp mixed dried herbs of your choice (I use oregano and thyme); juice of half a lemon; 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour; 1/2 cup cornflour/cornstarch; 2-4 tbsp breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes (optional, for added crunch); 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp pepper; 1 tsp paprika powder (optional); 1 tsp mixed dried herbs (optional); 1 large egg + 2 tbsp milk + 2 tbsp hot sauce; oil for deep frying; 4 tbsp butter; 1/2 tsp garlic paste; 2 tbsp honey; 2 tbsp hot sauce; 2 tbsp ketchup/tomato sauce; 2 tbsp water; 1/4 tsp salt

Spicy Honey Butter Fried Chicken

This recipe is the epitome of indulgence. You get to take classic fried chicken a notch higher by drizzling it with a luscious sweet and spicy sauce right before serving. The recipe works well with just about any cut of chicken, but I prefer making this with chicken wings.

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Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Ingredients for Marinade

1 chicken cut into 8-12 pieces OR 1 kg chicken wings
2 cups buttermilk or a mixture of yoghurt and milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp crushed black pepper
1 tsp red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp mixed dried herbs of your choice I use oregano and thyme
juice of half a lemon

Breading/Coating Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornflour/cornstarch
2-4 tbsp breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes optional, for added crunch
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika powder optional
1 tsp mixed dried herbs optional
1 large egg + 2 tbsp milk + 2 tbsp hot sauce
oil for deep frying

Spicy Honey Butter Sauce

4 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp garlic paste
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp hot sauce
2 tbsp ketchup/tomato sauce
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Marinate the chicken in the marinade ingredients overnight. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and blot them a little bit with kitchen towels. DO NOT rinse them as that will wash away the flavours that have built up during the marination. Set aside on a sieve until they come to room temperature.
In a wide plate, mix the flour, cornflour, breadcrumbs/cornflakes, baking powder, salt, paprika, black pepper and mixed herbs. This will be your seasoned ‘dredging’ flour. In a second plate, whisk the egg with the milk and hot sauce.
Prepare a rack on which you will place the chicken pieces to rest after coating, and another raised one lined with some kitchen tissues/towels on which you will remove the chicken after frying.
Dip each chicken piece first in the beaten egg, then roll it in the seasoned flour. You can repeat if you want a thicker coating, one more time in the egg and then in the flour. Place on a rack and continue until all the chicken pieces are coated and resting on the rack. Let them rest for about 5 minutes so that the coating holds properly to the chicken.
You can now heat oil in a deep pan. Make sure your oil is to the right temperature. Use a thermometer if you have one (350 F or 177 C); if not, you’ll know the oil is hot enough when it browns a bit of bread in under 30 seconds.
Gently, place the chicken pieces into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd it. Fry on medium heat for a total of about 12-15 minutes, turning the pieces over once in between. Remove the chicken onto the wire rack lined with kitchen towels. This will ensure the chicken remains crispy all around and any excess oil will get blotted off at the same time.
Whilst the fried chicken is cooling, prepare the sauce. Melt the butter in a pan, then add the garlic paste and fry it for a few seconds to release its’ aroma. Then add the honey, hot sauce, ketchup, water and salt. Stir and bring to a bubble. Let it simmer for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Drizzle this sauce over the fried chicken just before serving.
Enjoy!

Notes

You can mix half cup of yoghurt with half cup of milk in place of the buttermilk. Or simply make your own buttermilk, add 2 tbsp. lemon or vinegar in each cup of milk and let it stand for 10-15 minutes, then stir and use. Do not omit this step as it will give maximum moistness and it infuses flavour into the chicken.
Make sure the chicken pieces come to room temperature before you begin frying, so take them out of the fridge no less than half an hour before you need to start frying.

Spicy Honey Butter Fried Chicken