Sunday fried chicken

“Sunday in my house, and in many homes in South Africa, means two things: church, followed by the seven-colours meal. Fried chicken is almost always on the menu, and this is my recipe for mastering it.” – Mogau Seshoene

1. In a bowl, combine the buttermilk, 1 T garlic powder, 1 T steak-and-chops grind, 1 T smoked paprika and salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Chill for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

2. Remove the chicken from the fridge 1–2 hours before cooking to bring to room temperature.

3. In a large baking dish, whisk together the flour, cornflour, remaining garlic powder, steak-and-chops grind, paprika and 1 t salt. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.

4. Meanwhile, working with one piece at a time, remove the chicken from the bowl and allow the excess marinade to drip off. Place the chicken into the flour mixture. Dredge lightly all over and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Discard the excess buttermilk and flour mixtures.

5. When the oil is hot enough to bubble around the chicken when the edge of a piece is dipped into it, use tongs to carefully place a few pieces in the oil – don’t crowd the pan (the number of pieces will depend on the size of your pan).

6. Cook the chicken, turning often and adjusting the heat as required, until the skin is dark golden brown and the chicken is firm to the touch. It will take about 15 minutes to cook the wings and breast pieces and 18–20 minutes for the legs and thighs.

7. Transfer the cooked chicken to a tray lined with kitchen paper and fry the remaining chicken, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.

Cook's note: Instead of deep-frying, spray the chicken with oil and roast in the oven for 35 minutes at 200°C.

Find more seven colours recipes here. 

Photographs: Myburgh Du Plessis 

Production: Keletso Motau 
Food assistants: Lerato Motau And Ivan Masiyazi