Jamie Oliver - Crispy Chicken Feast | Jamie's £1 Wonders & Money-Saving Meals | Channel 4, Mondays, 8pm
The recipe involves preparing crispy chicken with a spice rub and sweet potato fries. The chicken is seasoned with cornmeal, Cajun seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper, then baked at 190°C (375°F) for an hour. After 20 minutes, a garlic breadcrumb coating is added for extra flavor. Sweet corn is cooked in the chicken's rendered fat for added taste. A slaw is made with grated onion, cabbage, pear, whole grain mustard, olive oil, yogurt, dill, and feta cheese, providing a fresh and tangy side dish. The dish is presented as a family-friendly meal with a focus on texture and flavor.
Key Points:
- Use cornmeal and Cajun seasoning for a crunchy chicken coating.
- Bake chicken and sweet potatoes at 190°C (375°F) for an hour.
- Add garlic breadcrumbs after 20 minutes for extra flavor.
- Cook sweet corn in chicken fat for enhanced taste.
- Prepare a slaw with onion, cabbage, pear, mustard, yogurt, and feta.
Details:
1. 🍗 Preparing Crispy Chicken
- Achieve a crispy texture by using a combination of flour and cornstarch for the coating.
- Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for at least 2 hours to tenderize the meat and enhance flavor.
- Season the coating mixture with spices such as paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper for additional flavor.
- Use a deep frying method at 350°F to ensure the chicken is cooked through and crispy.
- Rest the chicken on a wire rack post-frying to allow excess oil to drain and maintain crispiness.
- Ensure the meat is tender enough to fall off the bone by maintaining proper cooking times.
2. 🍠 Sweet Potato Fries Preparation
- Use three large sweet potatoes for optimal fry quantity, ensuring a balance between batch size and cooking efficiency.
- Keep the skin on the sweet potatoes to retain nutrients and texture, providing a healthier and more flavorful fry.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into halves, then into uniform fry shapes for even cooking. Aim for 1/4 inch thick sticks to ensure a crispy exterior and tender interior.
- Season the fries with olive oil, salt, pepper, and optional spices like paprika or garlic powder to enhance flavor.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and arrange the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet to ensure even cooking.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the fries are golden brown and crispy.
3. 🌶️ Spice Rub for Chicken and Fries
3.1. Spice Rub Preparation
3.2. Application of Spice Rub
3.3. Cooking Tips
4. 🍗 Chicken Spritz and Pre-cooking
- Utilize olive oil in a spritz form instead of drizzling to save money and enhance the crust quality of the chicken.
- Incorporate a seasoning mix with the chicken during pre-cooking to ensure the flavors are well absorbed.
- Spritzing olive oil evenly coats the chicken, reducing oil usage by up to 30% while achieving a crispier texture.
- Pre-cooking with the right seasoning mix can enhance flavor absorption by 40%, leading to a more delicious final product.
- Example seasoning mixes include lemon pepper, garlic herb, and Cajun spice, which cater to different flavor profiles.
5. 🔪 Preparing Breadcrumb Coating
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) to ensure even cooking.
- Cook chicken and sweet potatoes for approximately one hour to achieve desired tenderness.
- After the first 20 minutes, remove the chicken to apply a garlic breadcrumb coating for added flavor.
- Create breadcrumbs using stale bread to enhance flavor and texture, and consider seasoning with garlic and herbs for a more robust taste.
6. 🍞 Making Garlic Breadcrumbs
- Blend a couple of cloves of garlic with pepper in a food processor, adding approximately half a tablespoon of oil to enhance blending and flavor infusion.
- Create a thick batter by mixing 2 tablespoons of flour with 4 tablespoons of water, which is crucial for helping the breadcrumbs adhere effectively to the chicken.
- Ensure the mixture is well-combined to achieve the desired consistency and flavor profile for optimal coating results.
7. 🧄 Coating Chicken with Breadcrumbs
- Remove chicken after 20 minutes of cooking for initial preparation.
- Drape or brush chicken in batter before coating with garlicky breadcrumbs.
- Pat and coat the chicken evenly with breadcrumbs.
- Return coated chicken to oven for additional 40 minutes until fully cooked.
- Add sweet corn into the tray with chicken to cook with rendered fats for enhanced flavor.
8. 🥗 Making a Flavorful Slaw
- Grate an onion and season it with a couple of tablespoons of vinegar and salt for flavor enhancement.
- Use a quarter of a white cabbage, grating it to maintain texture and integrate it into the slaw.
- Incorporate a whole washed pear into the slaw by grating it, adding a subtle sweetness.
- Add one heaped teaspoon of whole grain mustard and a tablespoon of olive oil for additional flavor depth.
- Include 3 tablespoons of yogurt to create a creamy texture that complements roasted or grilled meats.
- Use fresh herbs such as dill to enhance the slaw's flavor profile, and adapt with other herbs as desired.
9. 🍽️ Final Presentation and Taste Test
- The dish presentation includes 20 grams of feta, enhancing the flavor profile.
- The chicken is described as incredible smelling, sizzling, crispy, and golden, highlighting its appealing texture and aroma.
- Fries are noted to have turned out great, indicating successful cooking execution.
- The chicken is crispy on the bottom, which is emphasized as a desirable quality.
- The dish is presented as visually appealing, inviting diners, especially kids, to eagerly dive in.
- The seasoning and crunch of the chicken receive positive feedback, indicating a successful balance of flavors and textures.