Fried chicken with spices and harissa mayonnaise

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Ingredients

½ t black peppercorns, crushed
½ t fennel seeds, roasted and crushed
2½ t cayenne pepper
1 t coriander, ground
½ t turmeric powder
½ t cumin, ground
½ t cinnamon, ground
¼ y allspice, ground
1 t salt
½ t sugar
1/3 cup chicken stock powder
1/3 cup vegetable stock powder
100 g cornflour (190 ml)
2 free-range eggs
190 ml buttermilk
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
750 ml vegetable oil, for frying
1 loaf of white bread
For the harissa mayonnaise
1 red pepper, roasted and peeled
10 small chillies, seeded
2 garlic cloves
½ t salt
1 t cumin, roasted and crushed
1 t coriander seeds, roasted and crushed
65 ml olive oil
250 ml mayonnaise

Cooking Instructions

Mix the spices with the salt and sugar, then add the stock powders and cornflour.

Whisk the eggs into the buttermilk.

Dip the chicken strips into the seasoned flour, then into the egg mixture, and back into the flour. Deep-fry until golden brown and cooked through.

To assemble, slice off the top of the loaf of bread taking care not to completely remove the top crust. (You will need it to form the “lid” of the case.) Remove enough of the inside of the bread to leave a rim on the sides and bottom to create a case.

Place the deep-fried chicken strips in the middle of the hollowed loaf and the harissa mayonnaise in an enamel cup on the side.

At Carlton Cafe Delicious a simple potato salad is tucked in on the other side of the chicken. Close the top crust of the bread and tie together with string.

To make the harissa mayonnaise, roughly chop the red pepper and crush the chillies with the garlic and salt. Place in a blender with the cumin and coriander seeds and purée with the olive oil.

Season and mix 1 t of the paste with the mayonnaise.

Store the remaining harissa paste in a jar in the fridge covered with a thin layer of olive oil.

TASTE'S take

This recipe was created by Conny Mohlala, one of the chefs in Rachel Botes' Carlton Cafe Delicious in Menlo Park Centre, Pretoria, where it's a firm favourite with customers. It is served inside a hollowed-out loaf, but you can simply serve it with a side salad such as avocado coleslaw or potato salad.