This chicken is a big hit with my kids. We celebrated 4^th July with this served with mashed potato and green beans  but of course you could serve it with chunky fries or a salad. The buttermilk tenderises the chicken so it literally melts in your mouth. Of course it is ideal for picnics and lunchboxes. My four year old devoured it when we had it for dinner last night and only the bone arrived home from preschool! In our house that means we have a winner as he is my biggest food critic!

• 8 drumsticks and 8 thighs
• or 1 chicken jointed into 8 pieces – your butcher will do this for you
• 1 litre/ 4 ¼ cups buttermilk
• 125 grams/1 cup plain flour (All purpose)
• ½ – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper depending on your taste buds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water
• Oil for frying

• In a large pot place chicken and cover with the buttermilk. (You can use whole milk if you have no buttermilk) cover with cling film (Plastic wrap) and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. This will tenderize the meat but is optional. I have cooked this dish without refrigerating and it’s just as good.
• When you are ready to cook, bring the milk to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer until the chicken is cooked. The internal temperature should be 83C/181F
• Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate to cool.
• In a large freezer bag, add flour, salt and cayenne pepper and shake to combine.
• In a bowl beat egg and water together.
• Place each piece of chicken into the bag and shake to coat the chicken. Then dip the chicken into the egg mixture and place it back into the bag a second time to coat in flour. Repeat this with all the chicken pieces.
• Heat your oil and using tongs, gently drop each piece of chicken into the oil in batches and cook until it becomes crispy and golden brown in colour. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Keep warm in the oven until all the chicken is cooked. Set aside some for your lunch box but keep them chilled in the fridge until the morning.

Make this chicken dish gluten free by substituting the flour with a GF variety. I like Dove’s Farm brand.