DIY KFC (kind of)

Mm, now THIS has been a long time coming. Do-it-yourself KFC...

There's a bit of a disclaimer that needs to come with this though.

Now, I often opt out of fast food and find it interesting to experiment with ways to Say No to Takeaway. There are plenty of ways to make healthier versions at home, and not too strenuous either. But DIY KFC does not fall within this category, no.

There is absolutely no way in which I would endorse substituting KFC – it's just too (finger-licking) good. Something that I'd say hell yeah - bring on the Bucket - when a craving comes along.

For a long time though, I've always wanted to try making some version at home, just to see what it'd be like. Not by trying to hunt down the secret 11 spices that the Colonel uses for the wonder chicken, might I stress. Although, there was a moment when I contemplated throwing together 11 random spices/herbs from my cupboard to see what it'd create. Which I imagined to be a Disaster so I quickly moved on from that idea!

So I tried to keep it fairly simple – having said that, I also thought that by baking instead of frying, it'd be a little easier. But I'm still trying to get used to my new oven, and am finding the fan quite a bugger to contend with. It's proving tricky to cook things evenly and I'm constantly having to compensate for it cooking things too quickly (ie burning on outside, not cooking inside).

Needless to say, it came out all right, you know – yes, it looks a bit charred, but it was indeed very tasty, with gorgeously crispy skin too. But NOT a substitute for real KFC, got that?

DIY KFC (kind of)

Print-friendly recipe

Serves 4:

8 chicken drumsticks/thighs
6 tbsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp oregano
3 tbsp rosemary
3 tbsp cornflour
1 egg
1kg potato, chopped into medium wedges
Pinch of salt
Splash of olive oil

1. Put the chopped wedges into a pan of water with the salt and bring to the boil. Turn down to simmer for about 5 minutes, just til they are partially cooked. Drain and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. On a dinner plate, mix together the paprika, oregano, rosemary and cornflour. In a wide bowl, lightly beat the egg.
3. Roll a piece of chicken into the paprika mix, then dip into the egg on each side, before rolling into the paprika mix again. Transfer to a lined baking tray. Repeat for all the chicken pieces.
4. Add the partially cooked potatoes to another baking tray. Bake the chicken and potatoes for about 30 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway. The chicken skin will crisp nicely and it is done when you can stick in a fork and the juices run clear.

Serve with piping hot baked beans and some cheeky coleslaw if desired!

Psst, if either the chicken or the potatoes start to brown too quickly, cover with foil so that they continue to cook without burning ; - )

Other chickeny recipes you might enjoy.