ZFC (Zuu Fried Chicken)
Choose from one of three equally mouth-watering styles of fried chicken from Big Zuu: coated in Doritos, seasoned with Maggi, or fried with Rice Krispies.
Introduction
I grew up on fried chicken. I am black, yes, but we can all agree we would take a bullet for the Colonel’s secret 11 herbs and spices recipe. Although I may not have my own thriving chicken franchise, these recipes will give you the power to become your own bossman.
Doritos Fried Chicken: This was on the first episode of Big Eats and became a signature dish of the series. The recipe then went viral after a young man’s father expressed his admiration for his son’s new-found love of cooking, which was ignited by seeing people like me, Tubsey and Hyder cheffing it up on the telly.
Maggi Fried Chicken (MFC): Here’s some fried chicken that we sent on a tour of West Africa. What they established on their journey was that the Maggi cube is the quintessential essence of West African cuisine. This beautiful little block of all-purpose seasoning will bring to your chicken what it’s been missing.
Golden Nuggets: Do you know why there are three white bruddas on the front of a Rice Krispies box, but only one chicken on a box of cornflakes? Me neither, but I did fry some chicken nuggets with Rice Krispies and it came out pretty good.
Ingredients
| 500g | chicken tender or nuggets, or chicken legs or drumsticks or wings |
| 2l | vegetable oil, for deepfrying (if using a saucepan; if using a deep-fat fryer follow manufacturer’s instructions for oil) |
| salt and ground black pepper, to taste | |
| For the brine for the chicken tenders or nuggets: | |
|---|---|
| 100ml | buttermilk |
| 1 tsp | garlic powder |
| ½ tsp | onion powder |
| ½ tsp | paprika |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| For the brine for chicken legs, drumsticks or wings: | |
| 250ml | buttermilk |
| 1½ tsp | garlic powder |
| 1 tsp | onion powder |
| 1 tsp | paprika |
| 1½ tsp | salt |
| For the Doritos Fried Chicken dredge*: | |
| 50g | plain flour |
| 25g | cornflour |
| 25g | rice flour |
| 50g | Doritos, blitzed in a food processor or finely crushed, plus extra Doritos to garnish |
| For the Maggi Fried Chicken (MFC) dredge*: | |
| 50g | plain flour |
| 25g | cornflour |
| 25g | rice flour |
| 1 | Maggi or other vegetable stock cube |
| ½ tsp | chilli powder |
| 50g | roasted peanuts, finely chopped, to garnish |
| For the Golden Nuggets dredge*: | |
| 80g | rice flour |
| 40g | rice cereal (e.g. Rice Krispies), blitzed in a food processor or finely crushed |
| 20g | panko breadcrumbs |
Method
Prep time: 20 minutes. Marinade time: 2+ hours. Cook time: 20 minutes.
*Note: double the dredge quantities if using legs, drumsticks or wings.
To make the brine, mix the buttermilk with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken and mix well to coat in the brine, then cover and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours in the fridge.
For chicken tenders or nuggets, preheat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 165˚C or heat the oil in a deep saucepan over a low–medium heat to 165˚C.
For chicken wings or legs and drumsticks, preheat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 140˚C or heat the oil in a deep saucepan over a low heat to 140˚C.
To dredge the chicken, mix all your chosen dredge ingredients together in a large bowl. Using tongs, dip the chicken pieces into the dredge, moving them around to coat very well.
To cook tenders or nuggets, carefully move the pieces from the dredge into the hot oil, working in batches. Fry for 4–5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper, season and serve.
To cook wings or legs or drumsticks, carefully move the pieces from the dredge into the hot oil, working in batches. Fry for 12–15 minutes, turning a few times during cooking to make sure the coating is browning evenly. When golden brown and cooked through (the interior temperature of chicken should be above 72˚C when measured with a meat thermometer, or insert the tip of a knife or skewer into the thickest part; the juices will run clear if it is cooked – if you see any trace of pink, carry on frying or, if they are well browned on the outside, transfer to a foil-lined baking tray and cook for a further 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 195˚C/175˚C fan/Gas 5), drain on kitchen paper, season and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Zuu hacks: Play with your favourite flavours! You can add spices and textures to the brine or dredge for delicious variations.
Reviews
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