Spicy Fried Chicken

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This Cajun style fried chicken is great for pool parties and family gatherings where lots of people need to be fed.

Only you know how many that will be, so I’ve given the basic recipe and you can increase it as necessary. Any cut of chicken will cook well this way, but drumsticks are the most economical.

The trick to a great success is to soak the drumsticks overnight in 500ml of buttermilk laced with 1 tablespoon of Tabasco sauce. Use more if you want a little extra spice.

The next day, drain the chicken and shake each piece in a plastic bag containing the following:

150g of plain (all-purpose) flour
2tsp salt
1tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tsp garlic powder

As each piece comes out of the bag, leave it to dry on a wire rack while you get the fryer ready. Leave the chicken for at least 20 minutes before cooking.

You can either use a deep-fat fryer, or use a deep skillet into which you have put about 1.5cm (1/2 an inch) of groundnut oil. Heat this to 180°C, 350°F.

If the temperature is lower than this, the chicken will absorb too much oil. If it’s higher, the flour may burn. If you don’t have a fat thermometer, test by dropping a piece of bread into the oil. It will brown in about 1 minute.

Only put enough chicken in the pan to ensure that there is plenty of space between the pieces and to avoid lowering the temperature of the oil too much. Cover and cook without disturbing for 10 minutes over medium heat.

Turn the pieces over and cook in the same way for a further 10 minutes. Check one of the legs by removing it from the pan and slicing into it with a sharp knife. The meat should be uniformly white and the juices clear.

Drain the legs on absorbent kitchen paper before serving.

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