Name: Fried chicken sandwich
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Makes 4
Ingredients: 4 skinless chicken thigh fillets trimmed of excess fat and sinew; 284ml carton buttermilk; 150g plain flour; 50g cornflour; for deep frying groundnut oil; 4 brioche-style burger buns; melted for toasting butter; to serve sliced gherkins; 1 tbsp garlic granules; 2 tsp cayenne; ground to make 1 tsp black peppercorns; (not smoked) 1 tbsp paprika; 1 tsp celery salt; 2 tsp dried oregano; 4 tbsp runny honey; ½ tbsp sea salt flakes; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 tbsp American hot sauce

Fried chicken sandwich being held in hands

4 skinless chicken thigh fillets
trimmed of excess fat and sinew
284ml carton buttermilk
150g plain flour
50g cornflour
for deep frying groundnut oil
4 brioche-style burger buns
melted for toasting butter
to serve sliced gherkins

SPICE MIX

1 tbsp garlic granules
2 tsp cayenne
ground to make 1 tsp black peppercorns
(not smoked) 1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp celery salt
2 tsp dried oregano

SALTED HOT HONEY GLAZE

4 tbsp runny honey
½ tbsp sea salt flakes
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp American hot sauce

Method

step 1
Combine the spice mix ingredients. Put the chicken, 1 tbsp of the spice mix, 1 tsp salt, the buttermilk and 3 tbsp pickle liquid from the jar of gherkins into a food bag. Leave to marinate for 4 hours in a fridge (or preferably overnight). Remove from the fridge 1 hour before cooking, to bring to room temperature.
step 2
When you are ready to fry the chicken, put the flour, cornflour and the remaining spice mix in a shallow bowl and combine.
step 3
Heat groundnut oil no more than ¹/3 full in a large pan until it reaches 180C or a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.
step 4
Take the chicken thighs out of the marinade, shake any excess off then dredge thoroughly in the spiced flour mix.
step 5
Carefully lower the chicken into the oil and fry for 4 minutes each side until deep golden brown and crisp. If the pan isn’t large enough to fry 4 at once, do in batches and keep the fried chicken warm on a rack in a 180C/fan 160/gas 4 oven.
step 6
Brush the buns with melted butter then put cut-side down on a griddle pan until charred and crisp. Heat the glaze ingredients in a small pan, whisking to combine.
step 7
To assemble, lay some gherkins on the bottom of each bun. Top with a chicken thigh, drizzle with some glaze then put the bun top on and eat straightaway.