Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger Recipe
Chef Prah
20/08/21
Hello Folks, Chef Prah (Will) here. This is my first recipe on Street Feast and so I thought I’d give a bit of an intro to myself and my cooking journey. I’ve always been a big fan of food (my belly shows it) but recently over lockdown I decided to start pushing myself to improve my skills and give myself a potential option for getting some income.
I’ve been busy in the kitchen ever since and have spent time working in an Italian restaurant as a pasta chef which was a great experience. This first recipe is a belter and is something I turn to when I need a little boost in happiness, and to be fair who doesn’t love a bit of fried chicken!
Ingredients:
Recipe for two burgers
Chicken:
2 boneless and skinless chicken thighs (good size)
Enough oil to fill around half of a large heavy bottomed pot (DO NOT FILL OVER HALF WAY)
(Optional) But very useful is a temperature probe to measure the internal temp once removed from the oil.
Flaky salt once out of the oil.
Wet Mix:
300ml of Buttermilk
1tsp Smoked Paprika
1tsp Garlic Powder
1tsp Kosher Salt
1tsp Cayenne Pepper
1tsp Black Pepper
(Optional)You can add a little pickle juice from a jar of gherkins (I usually don’t)
Dry Mix:
Enough Plain flour to fill 1/3 of a steep sided baking tray
1tsp Smoked Paprika
1tsp Garlic Powder
1tsp Kosher Salt
1tsp Cayenne Pepper
1tsp Black Pepper
Toppings and Condiments:
Half a head of little gem lettuce shredded
Handful of sliced gherkins
Spicy mayo or regular mayo (I make my own Nduja mayo which works beautifully)
2 good quality brioche buns
Method:
Add your butter milk to a large bowl and mix in the spices. Add your chicken to the mix and stir it in. Cover with clingfilm and leave to marinate preferably overnight.
The next day, prepare your dry mix in a steep sided baking tray. Add the flour and then the spices and mix until thoroughly combined.
Prepare your condiments and toppings for your burgers. Slice the gherkins lengthways please, I don’t want no circles on my burger, long boys only. Shred your lettuce finely and grab some mayo or make your own, it’s up to you but I love using my Nduja mayo: spicy, salty and proper naughty.
To avoid things getting complicated later on, toast your brioche buns before you start on the chicken. Toast both sides of the buns to give it a little charring and extra flavour.
Get your oil in the heavy bottomed pan and place on a medium heat. We want the oil to be around 160 Degrees Celsius for this. Don’t overfill your pot! We don’t want any house fires please.
Lets start on the chicken. Add a few drops of your buttermilk marinade into the dry mix flour before you add your chicken. Get your fingers in massage the marinade to get the flour a bit clumpier for extra crispiness later on. Now add in 1 chicken thigh at a time from your marinade, making sure to let any excess marinade drip off before adding.
Make sure the thighs are fully covered in the dry mix and press down on them to get it into all the nooks and crannies. Repeat with the other chicken thigh and place on a clean baking sheet.
Now you’re ready to fry your chicken. Using tongs place your chicken thighs into the pot of oil making sure to place them away from you to avoid splashing yourself!
Fry the chicken until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 74 Degrees Celsius.
Pull the chicken from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Hit it with some flaky salt as soon as it comes out. Leave this to crisp up and for the oil to drain. Repeat this whole process with the other chicken thigh.
Now time to build your burgers. Get your toasted brioche buns and pop some mayo on each side, on the bottom bun place your lettuce and on the top bun place your sliced gherkins.
Place your fried chicken on top of the bed of shredded lettuce and place the bun on top.
There you have it, a banging little chicken burger to boost your happiness!
