Who needs KFC when you can make a crispy ‘cheep cheep’ chicken at home?
Oven baked instead of fried
Total abstinence is not only impossible, it’s downright silly. I’ve learnt that the more I try and abstain from certain foods, the more I crave them. If I really crave something, I’ve learnt that sometimes it’s good to give in a little, just to get it out of your system so you don’t obsess about it anymore.
I did that to help me stop cut down on smoking some years ago and whilst I still have the odd cheeky fag (or more at parties), I can now go for weeks on end without smoking. One day I might just be able to kick the habit entirely.
I’m like that with fast food, and there is one fast food that I’ve always loved and always will love. It’s also the one fast food that I actually rarely eat purely because I know how much I love it and how addicted I am to it, and that’s Kentucky Fried Chicken. Yes, Colonel Sanders has a lot to answer for.
But over the years, I’ve limited myself to no more than 1-2 visits a year, not bad for someone who is hopelessly addicted to fried food.
We could have gone to KFC but as we were still clearing out our fridge and freezer last weekend, we ended up defrosting the last of our chicken pieces and made what I’m calling our crispy ‘cheep cheep’ chicken. Ok, it’s definitely not healthy but at least it’s not fried. It doesn’t taste like KFC either but it does taste good, pretty damned good; in fact, really, really good.
The dry parmesan batter creates an instant crust in the oven.
We ate it on New Year’s Day as a kind of final blow-out, and had it with mashed potatoes and a green papaya and carrot salad (as an alternative to coleslaw). This recipe creates a really crispy and savoury crust on the chicken but be careful when you bite into them because inside the crust is beautifully steamed and juicy chicken meat.
The leftover wing was what I had for dinner last night with my stir fried brussels sprouts.
More importantly, I’ve gotten my fried chicken craving out of the way now so I know I’ll be able to walk past a KFC (and there’s one directly opposite my tube station when I get to work) without blinking an eyelid.
If you fancy making this crispy chicken yourself, the recipe’s here, along with a new dressing we made for our green papaya and carrot salad.
Crispy cheep cheep chicken with a green papaya and carrot salad
Lots of love
thebigfatnoodle
KFC eat your heart out!
Crispy cheep cheep chicken
4 large chicken wings, 2 chicken drumsticks, 1 breast (cut into 8 bits)
4 (heaped) tablespoons of plain flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of garlic salt
½ teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon fresh cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Golden and delicious!
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
50 grams freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs beaten
50 grams of unsalted butter, melted
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees (Celsius) and line a baking tray with silver foil.
In a fry pan, toast your cumin, fennel and coriander seeds until fragrant then use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to grind the seeds to powder.
In a large mixing bowl, mix your spices with all the other ingredients apart from the eggs and chicken pieces.
Make sure your chicken pieces are thoroughly dry and then dip them first into your beaten egg and then coat it in your cheesy flour mix. Make sure each piece of chicken is thoroughly coated and then place them on your baking tray.
When you’ve prepared your chicken pieces, baste them with your melted butter and then pop them into the oven to bake for 40-45 minutes. Your chicken is cooked if you skewer your pieces and it comes out clean.
Green papaya salad dressing
Juice of ½ to 1 freshly squeezed lemon (roughly 1 tablespoon of lemon juice)
1 tablespoon of water
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1 teaspoon of sugar
Pinch of dried Thai basil leaves (or fresh if you have it)
1 teaspoon of worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of chilli oil
1 teaspoon of groundnut oil
In a bowl, whisk all of these ingredients together and drizzle over the salad of your choice.
An oven baked golden fry
thebigfatnoodle 
Everything in moderation I say. Your baked crispy chicken looks like an outstanding alternative to KFC. I reckon with it being baked, you can up your annual intake to double.
🙂 Mandy
If only that we’re the case! I’m really happy with how it turned out, it’s just a shame that I won’t be eating it again for a while. Boo hoo hoo…
What an interesting spice blend you’ve created, there — and toasty, too. Colonel Sanders’ spice blend (though a secret) is not likely so inventive. We may have to try this soon! 😀
I was tempted to try and find the exact recipe for KFC, their chicken is something special, but decided to just experiment with what we had in the kitchen.
I’ll take that over KFC any day—and I live in Kentucky! Looks great.
Aw thanks, that’s really nice. I’d take fried / bake chicken any day, anywhere if I could 🙂
Lovely! and probably a much better choice than KFC. Go forth and conquer.
all the best for 2012
I loved my recipe but I still love KFC 🙂
Your chicken look’d to die for! Way better than KFC in my book. So crispy and not fried?! Yay!
BFN, I totally agree with your thoughts on abstinence and giving in to a little moderation because I will always be hopelessly addicted to KFC as well! And one of my favorite guilty pleasures is homemade fried chicken tenders . . . the bad kind. I love everything about your recipe and will definitely be giving it a try – thanks for sharing this!
We’re totally on the same page, KFC and all kinds of fried chicken are da bomb! Why oh why do they have to be so bad for you though, sigh…
Fried chicken is one of the best foods on the planet. I agree, you can’t ban certain foods, it never works out. If I crave something I eat it, just control the portion. Great recipe!
I concur 🙂 you know how people say bacon’s the thing that can turn vegetarians, I’d personally add KFC/fried chicken as a contender as well!
You’re about to make my son very happy this weekend!! He’s been asking for good breaded “fried” chicken – which I don’t normally make. Perfect timing , great recipe!!
Do let me know if you do make it and if your son likes it. I have to say that you have to eat this chicken as fresh out of the oven as possible, it simply wasn’t as nice the next day though the crust actually still stayed crisp!
I want a leg right now – this looks delicious!!! Have a Great Day:)
Thanks, I took far too much pleasure eating that leg 🙂
Abstinence is one of my least favourite words… why do people abstain? It doesn’t have any real meaning. It’s like saying: ‘I don’t really feel like it’. I also hate KFC – I’ve had one in my life. Not even Parisian employees of that place can make it taste good. Homemade is so much better and yours look wonderful.
Yum! That looks crunchy and gooood.
That’s some mighty fine looking (not) fried chicken you’ve got there! I think you’ve given the Colonel a run for his money!
I meant that the chicken was not fried…not that it wasn’t mighty fine! That (not) ended up in the wrong spot! 🙂
Who doesn’t love fried chicken, and this recipe with the parmesan cheese in the crust is wonderful, I think I must make it!
Looks like fantastic chicken–must try this soon! And the green papaya salad sounds lovely too.
Thank you, it was really nice as a special treat.
We save KFC / fried chicken for special occasions or a dire need of a pick-me-up! Last year must have been a rollercoaster, so I ate a healthy share of the forbidden. Can’t wait to try this flavor-busting alternative to help me ween off!
Yes it’s very hard to resist the allure of KFC!