Food safety is becoming a bigger topic of public debate by the day. The FSSAI – Food Safety and Standards Authority of India – has been on a productivity overdrive, cracking down on several popular food brands and businesses in India with regards to either hygiene lapses, or misleading claims used to advertise certain products.
The good news? Maybe it will genuinely be safer to step out for a quick grub, and all the news chatter will actually alert people to prioritise knowing what they’re trusting to put into their bodies. Bad news? All your regular quick and cheap grub spots are under the scanner. About 2 months back, the FSSAI issued a notice against a KFC outlet in an Andhra Pradesh mall with regards to hygiene operations, specifically waste management, pest control, sanitation and employee hygiene. This trend has been going on for a while with strict action being taken last year in Lucknow, across much-loved fast food chains like McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Haldiram’s, Burger King and Subway.
With KFC being the latest hit on what seems to be an ever-expanding list, it makes sense if you’re second guessing that crispy hot bucket order that’s a Sunday staple. But, for anybody who knows their way around a kitchen, there’s a way around this too. Follow the directions below to whip up your very own bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken at home. The flavour match on this recipe is actually good enough to make you reconsider your average KFC order bills.
Ingredients
- 11 chicken pieces
For the flour dredge –
- 500 grams plain flour
- 45 grams coarse black pepper
- 10 grams paprika
- 25 grams celery salt (or any flavoured salt)
- 10 grams garlic powder
- 10 grams onion powder
- 8 grams smoked paprika
- 8 grams white pepper
- 3 tbsps thyme
- 25 grams salt
- 25 grams MSG
For the chicken seasoning –
- 2/3 tsps salt
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/3 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp celery salt (or any flavoured salt)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried mustard
- 4 tsps paprika
- 2 tsps garlic salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tsps white pepper
- Oil for frying
Also Read: Sushi in India is Growing Fast – But the Safety Standards May Not Be Keeping Up
Method
- Use about 2 tsps of the chicken seasoning and marinate the chicken for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours, preferably even overnight.
- Make your flour dredge and coat the chicken pieces with them. Swiftly dip each piece into water, shake off excess and dunk it back into the flour dredge – this is what will give you that texture-heavy, crispy exterior. Toss the piece’s around for a minute of two to really help the crunchy bits build up.
- Let the coated chicken rest for 10 minutes so that the crusts have some time to settle in, otherwise they’ll all just come off in the hot oil.
- Heat oil to 175C for a minute or two then drop the temperature to medium-low. Cook the pieces for about 13 minutes each.
- Let the first rush of heat cool off, only eat when the temperature turns warm to get maximum flavour in each bite.
(recipe from Suleiman Cooks)